Orchid Queen of Saturn
by borg rabbit
Summary: Twisted Ranma Sailor Moon thingumbob. Ranma and Nodoka are descendants of House Saturn.
1. Chapter 1

Revision 3, 08MAY2007

I guess that this is a Ranma one half, totally twisted, somewhat perverted spamfic? Any ownership is disclaimed by this lowly person. Theme music from the movie 'Deliverance', being played on a Chinese stringed instrument can be heard in the background. Pardon the dramatic silliness. Don't own anything pertaining to Ranma, Sailor Moon, or the guy who invented bobbles. This is just entertainment. Please be entertained. Thanks to the people at Fukufics. And J. St.C. Patrickfor looking over grammar and spelling.

—**Phenol Phthalein's prophecy 227 a.d., Nyanchiczu village.**

The old woman sat on a set of cushions across from the cheery light given off by the hearth fire. The smell of stew and bread baking filled the main room of the hut. Another, not so old, woman sat before a low table with brush in hand over a fresh scroll. A young boy and girl moved quietly about preparing the evening meal and tending the fire.

The oldest woman reached into the fire, barehanded, and picked up some glowing red coals. She inspected the burning embers in the manner that one would examine a fruit in a market. Finally satisfied, she set the coals into a very small brazier and added some powder over the coals. The smoke cloud expanded much faster than should have been possible, given the rooms poor circulation. Everyone felt a brief moment of vertigo and double vision as the fumes caught them, except for the eldest. She bent over the brazier and began to chant in an old language, seldom used since the silver times. Suddenly, she shouted "Yes! A true vision!" Getting a goofy grin she began to speak.

"Twins out of different mothers, one a virgin, shall be born. This will be the sign to watch for. The virgin will be a daughter of Khronos. Follow her. Listen to him, he bears Jusenkyo's kiss. Obey her, she bears Jusenkyo's blessing. Protect the avatar as you are protected. The virgin mother will bring enlightenment and safety to the Amazons. He will bring sorrow and confusion to our enemies, who look for us, but will not see. Her and his family will open the wider worlds to Artemis' people. Be prepared to follow Her to a new Silver Age."

The scribe asked, "What does Kronos have to do with us? Doesn't he come from a pantheon that we have eschewed except for Pallas Athena? Why should we pay attention to a foreign devil", while she finished copying the words.

"No, Lo Fat, Kronos has helped the Goddess watch over us for a long time. I don't know why the Greek deity of Saturn would be in my vision. I see what will be and what will impact the future of our tribe. If you don't understand this, get a clue. I'm going to bed...damn kids, think they know everything when they hit 150, four hundred years too young to understand, if you know what I mean." Phenol went to her pile of cushions and blankets in the corner and lay down with a secret smirk.

In a fit of spite, Lo Fat wrote down the conversation following the prophesy and drew stick figures of herself sticking her tongue out at what looked like a raisin. Then, with an evil grin that frightened the children in the shadows, tossed the scroll into the fire. 'Bull excrement', she thought. Xian Pu and Lu Tse snuck out of the hut, their duties complete.

Meanwhile in the pile of blankets, Phenol was smiling as she visited her friend from her childhood, in a mindscape of lush gardens bordered with beautiful marble columns. Here, she was again the lavender haired beauty of her youth and a handsome white bearded man took her hands. "Phenol-chan, your days as my oracle, on this plane, are nearly over and I find that I don't want to lose you to reincarnation. Would you be willing to be my assistant? Do some things on the mortal plane that I don't have time for?"

Phenol Phthalien just wrapped her arms around the god's neck and said, "Wo da airen." He smiled back and they kissed.

In the hut, no one noticed the glow coming from the old woman's bedding—or, the beautiful, translucent woman standing beside the resting place of her mortal shell. She looked up, joyfully and rose through the ceiling. The woman's lifeless body was discovered the next morning.

**Present day.**

In a hut, in a modest village, in a valley, in an isolated mountain range, two auburn haired women were in separate beds accompanied by two gray haired women. They were in the final stages of labor and delivery. The gray haired women were the noted twin Amazon healers Soap and Conditioner. The healers said in unison, "She's crowning! Now push one more time." Both of the redheads screamed with their effort as a fat bald headed man cowered in a corner of the room, speaking quietly, fast and incoherently. A voluptuous violet haired girl, armed with a brightly colored spear, kept a close watch on the fat one.

Twin cries of the newborns first breaths shattered the sudden silence as the babes were cleaned, wrapped and had their umbilical cords tied and cut. Each infant, sporting a shock of curly purplish red hair, was handed to her mother to begin nursing. One of the women looked down at the child that was already nursing greedily, with infinite love and said, "Daughter that I had desired for so long, I'll name you Sakura, for the cherry blossoms that fall like snow in the spring." Looking over at the apparent identical twin in the other bed, who was mesmerized by her own baby, "Daughter, what will you name her?"

"I…I think that I'll name her Hotaru. My own little firefly. What do you think?"

"I think that that is a wonderful name, Ranma." spoke an aged voice. The group of Amazons that had entered bowed low to the two mothers.

**Ork ork ork! The back story—about eight months before**

A martial artist and his son walked down a dusty road followed by a young looking auburn haired woman. The woman was dressed in a dusty silk kimono in spite of the warmth of the day and carried only a silk wrapped bundle in her arms and her own, large pack on her back. Though the overweight man and the young black haired boy maintained a grueling pace, the woman kept up easily, keeping a fresher appearance than the larger of her two gi clad companions.

The younger man shifted his huge pack and looked back at the woman and smiled. "Mom, Pops said that this is the last training ground and then we can go home!"

The woman smiled beatifically at her son. "It will be wonderful to be home again with you, Ranma, my manly son." She passed a cold glance at the man walking beside Ranma. "Kami-sama knows that we have made good progress in the six months since I caught up with you and that…person, but your education needs much fleshing out. MY Art and high school sensei experience can only go so far without a library or proper dojo."

The heavyset man continued to look straight ahead and spoke with some agitation, "Woman! The boy's training would have been finished two months ago without you making him soft with your useless 'education'. I won't have my son turned into a weak girl…"

At that moment a katana flashed, bisecting him from head to groin. But it was only an after image, which faded quickly. The lady looked at the top of Ranma's pack where her husband was perched. The boy continued walking as if his burden had not just tripled. "Genma, you had better mind your mouth. And don't think that I missed you because of your skill! Ranma was much more a man than you even before I found the two of you wandering about this barbarous country. He has done nothing but please me, after he and I smoothed some rough edges off, and I convinced him that women weren't as weak as you taught him."

Ranma remembered his own beating at the hands and katana of his mother. Since then he had been learning the way of the sword and staff from her, as well as some much overdue academics. He began to smirk evily. "Hey Pops, get down, will ya? Mom, Maybe Pops would like to see another spar 'between' you and me?" Genma jumped down and put some extra space between himself and the other two, sweat dropping at the thought of another two on one beat down. He kept the misogynous comments in his mind for the next few hours.

* * *

The trio walked down the path and out of the trees to see a small flat plain pockmarked with hundreds of pools of water. Every pool had bamboo poles jutting out of them. 

"Well boy, we're here. Nodoka! This is where our son graduates to the mastery of our art!" 'And Soun's kids ought to be old enough for marrying. Oh happy retirement will be soon.' Genma leapt to the nearest pole.

"Whattaya mean, Pops? This don't look so tough!"

"Come on boy! You gotta use all your ki learning ta jump from these springy poles and not get dunked."

Ranma smirked, he had almost irked his father with that last statement. Looking at his mother, he shrugged and jumped to a pole in a pool near his father. Looking down at the pools, he saw that each pool had its own color and some seemed to have faces in the rippling water. Sad faces looking up at him. Ranma shuddered, shaking his head to clear his vision. Narrowing his eyes, he jumped toward his father beginning the aerial combat that was the hallmark of their school.

Meanwhile, Nodoka casually walked between the pools, observing her son's deadly ballet with his less graceful but no less dangerous father. She turned as a heavyset man crying out in mandarin ran up to her. She spoke in the pidgin mandarin that she had picked up. "I sorry no understand much. Can talk Japanese?"

He shifted to a somewhat better Japanese, "Honored lady customer. Must get back from springs. It very dangerous, magic-cursed place. Customers no Know how bad."

Nodoka felt a cold shiver run down her spine and took off running after the men in her life. "Ranma! Genma! Stop immediately and get on solid ground!"

The two combatants jumped apart and looked at her questioningly, while observing each other for any dirty tricks. Nodoka walked to the edge of Ranma's pool. "The water of these pools may have a curse. Come down here! Don't let the water touch you."

Genma hooted snidely, "Feh! Ranma this is what we get for having a weak silly woman along. I'm not finished with you yet!"

Ranma was now the angry one. "Stupid Pops! Mom ain't told me wrong yet and nearly everything I hear out of your hole has been bad, stupid, wrong, illegal, immoral, did I say stupid, or all of those things. I'm getting' down."

Genma's aura began to burn red with his anger. He thought, 'How dare she interfere with my training of the boy! I won't let her turn him into an honorless weak willed girl!' The boy and woman turned their gaze upon him and glared at him. 'Did I say that out loud?' "Kuso." Which 'was' said aloud.

He did a number of flips as he leapt at his son, trying to get the upper hand, quickly. Ranma dodged and the two went pole to pole across the ponds. Nodoka frantically watched, with her heart in her throat, and followed as her son often passed close enough to the water's surface to create ripples in his passage before grabbing the next pole. Genma's obsession would lead to something very bad. She just knew it.

High above the springs, a man and lavender haired woman watched the tableau, unobserved. The woman seemed bemused while the man was amused. A wind blew through the trees that were growing some distance away from the springs, but failed to even ruffle the woman's long hair. She slid down a gossamer beam of light, disappearing into the ground by one particular spring while the golden skinned man continued to watch the unfolding drama.

Ranma had come to a decision. This would not end until he was dunked or his father was beaten. As much as his father would deserve another curse. Ranma laughed in his mind about the time a monk gave Genma a curse of ten thousand crab lice. Becoming bald **all** over finally convinced the buggers to reside elsewhere. It would only bring him to his father's level to deliberately curse him. So, he began to extend his awareness and engaged the tactical computer that was his mind, planning many moves ahead.

Spotting a large rock in a large dry area by the most central pool in the springs, a strategy formed in his mind. Smirking, he said, "Pops, you gotta have brain damage from the sun baking that bald head of yours. Maybe for lunch we can just cook the food on your head and save the matches." He dodged a mid-air round house and left a friction burn on the older man's head as he removed the bandana from his father's head with his own kick.

"Hey old man. Cover up. Your gonna blind me with that ugly, lumpy, shiny thing!" Genma just growled and stepped up his attacks. Nodoka was falling back, shouting imprecations at her husband.

The aerial battle had gone on for fifteen minutes and neither opponent had been able to get telling blows. Though Ranma had been avoiding such because he refused to send his father into the drink. The man felt pride in how long his son had lasted, but refused to give his son mastery through his own defeat. Genma unlocked a sealed technique and sent a crescent shaped vacuum-ki blade through the pole on which his son stood.

Ranma looked wide eyed at the technique that his 'father' had been holding out on him and infused the pole with his ki. The pole held together, in spite of being severed, just long enough to allow his next leap.

Genma's surprise at his son's unexpected, instant counter to an unbeatable move proved to be his undoing. Ranma allowed the next pole to bend in ki infused springiness until it almost had him in the water and was whipped at near supersonic speed at his father. The fat martial artist looked up to locate his son and saw two feet slamming into his chest. Ranma bounced higher in the same direction as Genma, who flew into a straight line smashing into the granite boulder that was Ranma's target.

Nodoka was running toward where the two combatants seemed to be heading when the seemingly solid ground by a large pool suddenly gave way, dumping her into the water. A ghostly hand released its grip on her ankle when her fall became unavoidable. The hand rose from the ground revealing a shimmering woman who watched the results of her action, then rose up into the air, slowly vanishing.

Hard rock, formed when the earth was young, proved to be no match for the density of Genma's head and became granite dust after stopping his forward motion and secondarily rendered him unconscious. Ranma landed beside his father and crowed, "Hey mom! I did it. Mom?" He looked at the large pool to see bubbles at the surface and pieces of bank still caving in.

The guide huffed to within a few feet of the pool's edge and announced, "So sorry. Miz customer fell into uncursed pool and pool will drown customer. Will have to wait to see what curse is."

'Mom is drowning?!' "Mooommm!" Ranma dove into the pool, uncaring of danger. In the clear water Ranma saw his mother, still and glowing, at the bottom of the pool and swam to her. Grabbing her, then ki-reinforcing the muck, and jumping, mother and child landed a few feet from the edge.

"Mom. Mom!" Feeling no pulse, Ranma immediately began CPR. Getting her lungs cleared, Ranma began the cycle of breathing and chest compressions learned years before at a temple dedicated to the healing arts. He panted frantically, "Please don't die. Please don't die. Please don't die." between each set of rescue breaths. Every breath was infused with a pink tinged glow. Every compression was accompanied by a white spark of Ranma-generated electricity.

The guide watched this in awe. 'She is healing with her touch, practically resurrecting Miz Customer with her touch.'

The third compression cycle was interrupted by his mother's weak coughing. Ranma's mother was gathered into shaking arms. Her child's tears fell sizzling onto the ground as she bent over her mother, whose head lay in her lap.

Nodoka swam up to consciousness and saw…herself…above her, surrounded by a halo of light. She was crying and the tears sizzled as if they were boiling off into the air. Was this some out of body experience? Was she seeing her own mother in the afterlife? "Mother?"

Ranma was shocked when Nodoka looked up, wonderingly, and said "Mother?"

"No, Mom. It's me. Ranma. I thought I had lost you so soon after finding you again!"

"It can't be. You…you look like me!?"

At that moment the guide approached, still panting. "Honored… Honored customers, this what I try warn about. Springs turn customer into what drown in them. Happy that Miz Customer brought back to life, but uncursed spring now cursed. Come with me to home and will explain."

Ranma was dazed and suppressing her emotions, except for joy that her mother was alive. "Alive!" She picked her mother up and carried her, bridal style, back to the guide's hut. Genma was left to fend for himself.

* * *

As all this was going on, the pool began to boil, the magic removing all traces of the template that had just been placed on it. After a bit, it had returned to its former pristine state. The lavender haired ghost pulled her hand from the water, smiled and vanished. 

Inside the hut Ranma and her mother sat at the table while the guide set a teakettle on to boil. Ranma had found and draped a blanket over Nodoka's shoulders. Meanwhile, Ranma had begun to shake, but not from the coolness of the room. She wanted to swear at her body and declaim herself a weak girl, but that would insult and probably disappoint her mother. The pull in two different directions was seriously messing up her normally fine tuned fight or flight instincts.

Meanwhile the guide was saying, "…was uncursed and guides believed would stay uncursed because was where Jusendo upwelling before feed other spring. Very magical spring, will have to wait for next victim. Then see true curse. Miz and mister customer took much magic into selves but water now hot enough should change young mister customer back, until next cold water."

Ranma picked up on the last statement. "I can be me again. What do I do?"

"Stay still, honored customer." The guide then proceeded to pour the hot water over Ranma, who was smiling in anticipation. A moment passed, then three. Ranma's smile began to look forced. The guide frowned and replaced the kettle on the stove, after refilling. "That strange, customer not change. Not know why." The process was repeated until the water was actually boiling, with the same results.

Ranma's shaking increased and tears began to run down her cheeks again, as she looked at her hands folded in her lap. Nodoka moved to Ranma and wrapped the blanket about them both and held onto her son-err-daughter-err-sister? Giving up, she whispered into Ranma's ear, softly, "It will be okay, you saved my life even though you knew something bad might happen. Son, I love you unconditionally and absolutely. We WILL figure something out. It may be short of what we want, but now that I have you again, I won't lose you. I know that we can face our future, whatever it is."

The two settled back into the chair and, eventually, Ranma dozed off, with an occasional hiccuping sob, as Nodoka crooned assurance to her changed son. 'Ranma isn't very manly right now… Hell with manly. He didn't care what the sacrifice was, all he thought of was to save me. My son must love me. I know that!' Tears slid down her own cheek, now that Ranma couldn't see her own moment of weakness. "I'll be strong for Ranma tomorrow…and until we get this under control." She whispered with conviction.

* * *

Out in the springs, Genma came to and staggered blindly through the springs. He bumped into someone but saw only concussion induced spots. He continued on as a splash could be heard behind him. Genma left the pools of sorrow behind him as only those with 'dumb blind luck' were able to do. He came to a stop outside of the hut after being clotheslined by a clothesline and smashing his head again on another rock. Soon, snores were frightening away wildlife and two nearby musk warriors in the early evening twilight. 

Ranma was dreaming of being held in his mother's arms. It was a comforting feeling. Nothing bad could happen as long as he was being rocked. Then he looked up into her eyes and basked in her warm gaze for a long moment. After a short eternity her eyes took on a look that felt totally wrong. Wrong. "No-chan." Her face approached his and their lips met. "Mom, what…" His words were cut off as her tongue entered his mouth, tickling his tonsils. Her hands fondling his breasts, and another place. 'Breasts?' The face changed to that of his father as she woke up.

Her own…father! Her father was making out with her!

Her inarticulate scream was enough to blast Genma through the door of the hut. As Ranma's mother jerked awake behind her, Ranma lunged across and out the door, losing what remained of the previous night's meal on the packed earth in front of the domicile. In between heaves she shrieked at her father. "What are you doing oyaji?!!!"

"But No-chan, I thought that maybe we could do some more 'catching up' on what we missed in our years apart. Before the boy wakes up."

'No-chan' was standing in the doorway of the hut and put two and two together. Surprisingly the sum was four.

Genma froze when he heard, "Husband…what were you trying to do to our son?" He looked at 'Nodoka', trying to throw up her toenails. For some reason, she was wearing Ranma's gi. Then he looked at Nodoka standing in the door. 'Why are her eyes glowing?' He looked back at Nodoka and looked back at Nodoka and looked back at Nodoka (Rinse lather repeat).

"Why are there two of you No-chan?" He asked in a small voice.

The Nodoka standing in the door said, "Genma. That woman you were about to have sex with is our son. You refused to listen to me yesterday and now a curse is on our son to have a body identical to mine, all because of your crass stupidity."

Pointing a shaky finger, "That's Ranma?" A cold nod was his answer. Genma stood and opened his mouth, then slowly closed it before toppling over in a dead faint.

Nodoka got a strange look in her eye and then she was heaving beside Ranma.

The guide walked along the path to his hut and shook his head at the retching women and unconscious man. 'These foreign devils are way too weird. I'm glad Plum is visiting her great great grandaunt Cologne for training.'

After a breakfast of toasted bread, the two women's stomachs still hadn't settled completely. The guide convinced them that they should go to the village in the next valley over to see the matriarch of a tribe of Amazons. This would solve several problems. The strangers would be away from his home, he would alert the matriarch to the changes at the springs, Ranma's problem could be explored, and would see his beloved daughter a few weeks earlier than otherwise.

* * *

Ranma was searching for firewood in the late afternoon in the woods against the east side of the valley of springs when she thought she heard a woman's cries. It sounded like a woman in pain to her ears and she made a bee line for the source of the noise. Ducking under a tree trunk that had fallen across the path, Ranma froze at the tableau before him. She had suddenly had been exposed to a part of sex education that had been totally absent in her upbringing as a boy. After ten minutes of watching, it suddenly occurred to her that it was her mother riding the mystery horse and that she currently had the same body that was doing 'that' to her father. 'Gotta get outta here. Gotta get OUTTA HERE…' gibbered her mind as she slipped away, silently. 

Finding a small stream a safe distance away, Ranma proceeded to throw up again and again, washing off in the stream afterwards. She thought, 'I need to get a cure for this stupid lock on this stupid curse! Oh Kami-sama…my eyes! I ain't NEVER gonna do that with a guy!' That night Ranma awoke screaming twice. One nightmare involved her father repeating his earlier performance…with her…and the other…a naked dark haired boy waving a bokken saying repeatedly, "I will date with you." She didn't 'even' know where the boy had come from and couldn't decide which was worse. After each dream, Nodoka woke and tried to comfort her son…daughter, but Ranma's panic just got worse until she had fully awakened. A restful sleep would not come to Ranma that night.

* * *

Mid-afternoon, the following day found four people walking into the Amazon village. The few guards waved them on into the community. The Amazon sentry had watched the four travelers enter their lands, recognizing the Jusenkyo guide through her Russian made binoculars. Using her Motorola transceiver, she passed on their descriptions and was told not to reveal herself or interfere because of the guide. She then resumed eating, with small moans of ecstasy, the small quantity of Pocky that she had purchased from one of the Amazons who had infiltrated the Chinese embassy staff in Japan. The woman had to return to report in person on occasion and carried a pack of stuff to serve her 'sister's' minor vices. 

"Honored customers very lucky. Amazon womens have tournament and feast today."

The travelers came into a square that had virtually the entire village gathered in stands to see fights performed on a suspended log in a sandy arena. The two women watched a beautiful, lavender haired girl battling a giantess on the log. Out of the corner of their eyes, Ranma and Nodoka spotted Genma sneaking toward a large table covered with food. As he reached to grab something to shovel down his gullet, he froze when a blade tickled his Adam's apple, his grasping hand was pulled behind his back, in an unbreakable pain hold.

"Husband. You promised to hold to a reasonable diet. And seeing that no one is eating this food, I assume that it would be very impolite to partake when all these people are showing admirable restraint. Will you back away?" Genma slowly nodded. "If you persist, I think that I will remove toes and fingers until you have none to grasp with…or… you learn your lesson."

A gravelly voice spoke from behind them, approvingly, "You do well in restraining your male's gluttony. The penalty for eating the tournament's prize without permission is death for outsiders."

Nodoka and Ranma turned and, with widened eyes, took in the short figure perched on a gnarled staff. "It's a ghoummmph" Nodoka removed her hand from Ranma's mouth with a stern look.

"Honored elder." Nodoka bowed. "We have come here to see if we could speak to your matriarch. To beg assistance regarding an unfortunate encounter with a spring at Jusenkyo" Ranma had, in the meantime, turned to watch the current match between the two final opponents in the tournament with an avid intensity.

"My name is Cologne as you would pronounce it and I am the matriarch you seek. Shall I guess that you fell into the spring of drowned twins?"

Nodoka smiled at their luck finding the object of their search so quickly. Suddenly her unwrapped katana flashed and Genma dropped the loaf of bread in favor of trying to staunch the flow of blood from where his left pinky toe had formerly been attached. Cologne's eyebrow raised appreciatively at the impressive swordswomanship. "No, honored matriarch, the spring is that of my drowned self. I would not be here if my son had not dived in and brought me back from death's door."

"So your twin?, here, is your son? Well, there is no cure and using another spring only mixes the curses."

"Matriarch, that is not why we are asking for help. My son was unable to return to his birth form with hot water."

Cologne slitted her eyes, "Well, I know of only three easy ways of 'fixing' a nyannichuan type curse such as your son has. One is mainly psychological, through a shiatsu pressure point. Another is a magical lock, you weren't splashed with water from a ladle after exiting the spring?" Shaking heads were her answer. "Well, there is one other, will you follow… Oh! It looks as if my great granddaughter has won the tournament."

The lavender haired girl was being carried toward the table on the shoulders of the other participants. Speaking mandarin in a chanting voice, "**My sisters. This feast is much too large for me to eat. I would be honored if you would celebrate with me in this repast! Who are you?" **Ranma had appeared between the champion and the table.

"I am Ranma of the Saotome Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu and would like to challenge you for a meal from that feast table for me and my family."

Nodoka wiped her hand across her face in frustration. "Ranma, its not necessary to do that."

The girl spoke up, **"Grandmother, what are these foreign devils saying?"**

"**Shampoo, one of them wants to challenge you for the right to eat at our feast. Go ahead if you feel up to it after the tournament, but don't do anything foolish, take her seriously, or it may be him because of Jusenkyo. And, speak Japanese, you will need it for our next training trip."**

"Yes great grandmother. Shampoo will do as ask. Thought that was what foreign womans say. Yes Shampoo fight weak outsider womans. Be ready go hungry."

So the two leapt onto the challenge log and took their stances. The feasting table was left unwatched, but Genma was too busy bemoaning the loss of a toe to molest the food.

Shampoo spoke up, "Is true outsider womans fall into Jusenkyo?"

Ranma replied, "Yeah. Day before yesterday. I was a guy. I'd do it again though, to save my momma's life!"

Shampoo's face took on a look of respect. "Is good to sacrifice self for family or tribe." She smiled. "Still, better be womans than weak male."

"No. I'd give almost anything to be able to change back even part of the time, but so far nothing works."

The two had been gauging each other during the brief conversation. Shampoo decided to go on the offensive with a leg sweep and simultaneously swinging a bonbori beside the log to catch Ranma, should she jump over the leg. Ranma wasn't totally used to her mother's body and was grazed on the temple as a result. Her hand caught the arm swinging up even as the weapon hit. Her reflexes transferred the inertia to herself and she spun several feet above the lavender haired girl's head as she recovered from the hit.

The statuesque redhead landed in a low crouch as her opponent's bonbori swung over her head. Ranma decided that it was time to end this sparring session and executed a technique that she had made when her father had taught her to hang onto ceilings with ki. With a shout of "Hook Slide" she appeared to fall off the log. Shampoo thought that Ranma had given up, but was stunned when Ranma swung up from behind and hit the Amazon's butt with her shoulder. The girl was knocked high into the air on a trajectory beyond the soft dirt of the arena. Ranma had literally skated under the log to surprise Shampoo from behind.

Ranma's smirk faded as it appeared that Shampoo was going to have a bad fall in a rocky area. Not even thinking, Ranma did a horizontal leap to catch the young warrior and land beyond the rocks. Cologne and the other spectators walked over to where Ranma was setting a shaken shampoo down. The Amazon was starting to get upset at her loss and had thought of a way to recover from the loss of face at this impudent outsider's hands, she was a he, after all. Smiling, she placed a hand on each side of Ranma's head and laid a blistering kiss on the poor boy in a woman's body. Wo da airen.

Cologne slapped herself and closed her eyes at the antics of her progeny's progeny's progeny. Thinking about it, though, brought a wicked smile to her face. The Amazons surrounding her, even the ones unable to see her face backed away, warily avoiding the ugly rays.

"Shampoo, I want to commend you on your choice of mate, though it is still unknown if she will be able to perform in providing an heir of your blood. I hope that you understand the risks you have taken. Ehh?"

Ranma collapsed into a smiling, boneless heap as Shampoo released her and turned to her ancestor. "What mean risks? Hibachan."

"If this child is truly locked in this form, to provide an heir, your inheritance will be transferred to her and you will have to undergo exposure to the Nannichuan and water from the chisuiton."

"No. Noooo! Great grandmother not do that to Shampoo!"

"In a heartbeat, child." Cologne's face took on a grim aspect. "Saotome-san…Not you, unworthy male! Nodoka-san, my foolish descendant has taken it onto herself to marry your child by the laws of our tribe. This is irrevocable, until a female heir is born to our bloodline. Lets eat and discuss this in more detail afterward."

The women surrounded the table and started to eat after the nervous young champion had taken a bite from a drum stick. The women warriors quickly picked up their share and the men began to line up. Cologne spoke to the four visitors, "Now that the tournament is over and males are allowed to eat feel free to partake. Then we will do some investigation into...'son-in-law's' problem." While Nodoka grinned and the guide bowed, Ranma experienced a hunger induced resurrection, as he and Genma attacked the nearest table like hungry piranhas to a bleeding water buffalo.

* * *

Later. "Shampoo! Bring your 'airen' and her mother with you when they finish eating. We are going to investigate the outsider women and you need to be concerned about what your status in the tribe will be. 

Ranma, Nodoka and Shampoo followed the Matriarch into a large, thatch roofed building that was built into the side of a hill set in the center of the village. Genma remained at the feasting table, alternating between picking the scraps and nursing his toe stub.

Taking and lighting a carbide lamp, Cologne led her companions into a downsloping passage that seemed to lead away from the village. Ranma felt an alien ki probing her essence and nervously brushed it back with her own aura. There seemed to be a compulsion mixed up with it that she wished to have nothing to do with. She sensed it swirling about her mother and saw that it was failing to find purchase there as well. A sudden smirk flashed across her features, 'Way to go mom. Nobody gonna make us do what we don't want.'

After thirty minutes or so, they entered a large chamber that echoed and re-echoed their footsteps until it sounded like an army marching. Cologne stopped at the edge of a low circular dais and put out her lamp. The ensuing darkness only lasted a few seconds, as a diffuse glow replaced the intense light from the lamp.

Looking about, Ranma and the others saw that there was a shallow basin in the central dais, filled with water that had its source from a stalactite that hung from the distant ceiling like a great sword that had a milky, glowing translucence. Around the perimeter of the huge chamber were marble faced arches containing ancient wooden doors.

Cologne decided to speak, "I brought you in here to investigate your conditions and also to test you. If you had hostile or killing intent, you would have been dead before entering this chamber."

The old woman then said, "Ranma, Nodoka, please stand in the water and let Artemis' mirror reveal what it will."

The two stepped onto the dais after removing slippers and sandals. As the woman and neo-woman stepped into the water, a bright white nimbus appeared around them, especially Ranma. Motes of light, like fireflies rose from the water and moved about as if 'inspecting' them. A concentration happened over each female's lower abdomen before all of the lights began to surround Ranma, moving in an agitated manner. The lights appeared to enter and exit the neo-woman's body until they began to whirl in front of her, compressing finally into a brightly glowing crystal.

Ranma had stood mesmerized by the display, until the crystal formed. "Momma. The voices are telling me to take the heart crystal, that it will activate my birth right." She reached for the crystal, but as her acceptance was shown by reaching, the gem 'fell' into her chest. Suddenly, all light was extinguished in the chamber, except for a faint glow from the dais.

"That was impressive." remarked Cologne. "Let us move to the next..."

She was interrupted by a bright column of light surrounding Ranma and seemingly passing at an angle through the roof of the chamber. Dust particles began to swirl from the floor, circling the light show. Standing next to her, Nodoka saw Ranma's form overlaid with what appeared to be a sailor fuku in a purple and white theme. On her head was a crown and a symbol, looking like a stylized Romanji letter 'h' glowed on her forehead.

Ranma let out a voiceless scream and then the light show snapped out, leaving her to fall, splashing into the basin. Her mother rushed up to her. Picking Ranma up in her arms, she looked about wildly and followed Cologne's beckoning hand signal. The group marched over to one of the doors at the edge of the chamber. As Cologne opened the door, blinding white light spilled out. Nodoka took in the incongruity of what appeared to be a fully modern, white tiled, brightly lit hospital hundreds of feet below some of the most primitive seeming country on earth.

A short elderly woman wearing a lab coat spoke up in perfect Japanese, "Saotome-san. If you would bring your daughter to this exam room, we can see what is going on. Granddaughter, help Saotome-san." Once in the room, Ranma was put onto an examination bed. "My name is Soap. By the way, if you would, please go to that bathroom and pee into this cup and give it to my colleague, Conditioner, there. I'll take care of Ranma for the moment."

The unconscious Ranma was gently stripped, cleaned off and dressed in a loose, white hospital robe by the ancient healer. Next, blood was drawn from her arm into several ampoules that Soap handed off to an assistant to be taken to the lab. Ranma's legs were placed in stirrups for a gynecological exam. Soap had a feeling that her patient would be even less cooperative should she waken. Hence, the sleep shiatsu judiciously applied. Soap's eyes widened as she performed a pelvic exam.

Nodoka went through the same process that Ranma had, though conscious and cooperative.

Nodoka spoke with a bemused air, "Honored Elders, I must admit to being amazed at finding a facility like this, far from what one would call civilization. May I ask…?"

Cologne chuckled, "Oh, dear me. Yes! You may ask. Soap and Conditioner were taking a sabbatical about fifty years ago, checking on the status of the healing arts in the larger world and spent some time at a major American medical university. After learning what western medicine could teach, they convinced the council and my self that a fully equipped and maintained hospital would be a good investment. The power for all of this comes from a small underground hydroelectric generator."

The auburn haired woman then asked, "But why hide it like this?"

"Why hide a thoroughly equipped hospital, a thoroughly equipped 'research' hospital for that matter? The People's Republic of China would get very curious why such a backward and unimportant village had such a thing. Also, some of our research would be extremely dangerous in the hands of the army, especially to the rest of the world."

Nodoka then spoke in reply, "Why are you showing this to Ranma and I? How do you know that we won't betray you. I think that most wouldn't be so trusting in your position."

"Child." Cologne smiled warmly, "First. There is a prophecy that has been passed down in my clan, only in my clan, mother to daughter, for almost eighteen hundred years. What it is, I'm not ready to share without more proof. But, if you and Ranma fail to be the ones, it will be a simple matter to end your lives to protect our tribe. But…don't worry about it. I have a feeling that I'm about to see the prophecy's fulfillment."

Soap came back into the room where Nodoka and Cologne were still chatting by the now sleeping Ranma, the sleep point having worn off a few minutes ago. At the time, Ranma was finally recovering from what had happened in the great chamber. The old healer spoke. "Mother, the young woman is definitely still a virgin, though only technically so, because of the exam that I performed. She still had her hymen."

Ranma groggily awakened. "What's a virgin?"

Nodoka replied, "Ranma. A virgin is someone who has never had sex. Although your father and I try to be discreet, I have sensed your presence nearby at least once and Genma confirmed what I sensed. I hope that it was at least instructional."

Ranma was instantly wide awake and making warding signs. "AHHH! I didn't see nothin! Nothin at all! Nope. Not even when ya were bouncin' on top of Pops. Err…Urk!"

"Now that you are awake, I'll tell the two of you the really good news." Soap said, with an excrement eating grin. "It also explains why young Ranma cannot change at this time. Both of you are pregnant!"

* * *

A few minutes later, the two Saotome women and one lavender haired Amazon were waking up from a shock induced nap. Soap grinned at them, but took on a bemused look on seeing her granddaughter waking. Sighing, "Now that you are awake, please promise not to faint again." 

Ranma said, "Hey! I didn't faint. Girls do that. Dad taught me that it was a strategic mental retreat and regroup technique to use against honorable opponents."

Soap grinned, as did Cologne and Conditioner, who had just walked in with some printouts. "Ohhhkay. Well. Both of you seem to be about two to four weeks along. In young Ranma's case, pregnancy is the reason for the locked condition. Ranma as soon as you deliver your child, barring other locks, you should be able to change with warm water. If you lose the child, you will remain female until you deliver your first daughter...or son."

Cologne took the chance to speak up. "Soap, my daughter, you realize what your grand daughter has done?"

"Sadly, I do. Shampoo, you are every bit as impulsive as your mother was. By declaring before the whole tribe your intent to marry this 'boy', your inheritance is shifted to her and you must be changed by the Nannichuan and have the curse locked." The elderly woman's eyes misted over a bit.

Shampoo had been expecting this. "Shampoo understand. Shampoo is Joketsuzoku warrior and understand consequences." The girl went to Ranma and wrapped her arms around a frozen in place Ranma and said. "Shampoo will become husband to warrior Ranma and will obey. Shampoo begs that Ranma will treat Shampoo with kindness, even when am lowly male." Saying that, the lavender haired girl slid down to her knees and began to bawl her eyes out while clutching the red head's knees.

Ranma was shocked at the apparent barbarity of what would happen. Her face firmed up, "Cologne, does Shampoo really have to do this?"

Cologne looked at Ranma with a sad expression, "Yes. However, you will have something to say in this. You can petition the council of elders to forego the locking of her curse and use a waterproof soap to keep her male. If she should become pregnant by you after your own child is born, her status as a female can be restored after giving birth to a female child. Because of this, she will be clanless, though her child will be one of my heirs, as are you and your child. I have other things to speak to you about in private as soon as my foolish great-granddaughter's status has been changed. I would like to remove those antiquated rules, but Shampoo will be your husband in the eyes of the tribe before morning."

Ranma stared at Shampoo with a horrified look on her face. She dropped to her knees and gave the other girl a gentle hug. "Hey." Ranma quietly whispered into her ear, "It ain't right that you've got this hangin' over your head. Just when are they goin' to change you."

Ranma jumped into the air when a gravelly voice behind her said, "I'm sorry Ranma, and Shampoo too, but this must be done now. I'll explain later."

Head hanging, Shampoo followed Cologne and Soap to a shower stall in the next room. She removed her clothes and entered the chamber, closing the glass doors behind her. Ranma looked at the silhouette of a voluptuous woman on the frosted glass, wanting to stop it but feeling powerless. She swore that this barbaric tradition would end, somehow.

Ranma looked at Cologne and then looked closer, tears were visible and her expression made her internal agony apparent. 'She don't like this any more than me.' Thought Ranma.

Cologne pulled one of several color-coded levers in the wall and Shampoo was doused with water. The girl let out a masculine sounding sob as more water poured in to rinse away the dangerous liquid. The rinse was warm and the sobbing returned to a higher pitch. As soon as the water stopped, Ranma opened the door to the shower and hugged the weeping Shampoo.

"Why Ranma so nice to Shampoo? Shampoo just lowly male now and am property of Ranma."

"Where I come from, women aren't treated that great, but there aren't any of these stupid laws that treat the other sex as slaves. If I stay here long, things are gonna change."

Nodoka spoke from the door, "Son, the matriarch wants to talk to you in a conference room down the hall. She said it was for you, alone."

Just now realizing that the others had left without her noticing, Ranma replied, "Okay mom. Can ya take care of Shampoo for a bit? I think that she's still a little shook up."

"Of course son, come along with me dear and let's get you dressed and have a little talk." As they left the room, Nodoka and Shampoo headed one way down the hall and Ranma went the other. She went a few doors down to one that was open and showing a well lit room with a table and a few comfortable chairs.

* * *

Ranma edged into the room, wondering what the old woman wanted to talk to her in private about. Said woman picked up a bundle and tossed it to the neo girl and turned around. 

"You will find one of our battle costumes in there. Please put it on after you shut the door."

After closing the door, Ranma opened the bundle and laid the clothes on the table. She picked up one article and stared at it questioningly. "Those are called panties in your homeland," said Cologne without turning around, "You will find them an improvement over the boxers that you wore into here." Ranma blushed a fire engine red as she reluctantly put them on, finally hiding her naughty bits. "The long silk belt-like item is to bind your breasts. Wrap yourself snugly but not too tightl and tie it in a knot in the front. I think that you will find them much less painful the next time you spar and 'this' silk has some give, so as to allow maximum freedom."

Ranma fumbled with the wrappings for a while, getting nowhere, as Cologne's patience waned. She turned around, "Ranma, let me show you this time, you can practice later." The old woman balanced on top of her staff and expertly wrapped Ranma's bosom, while bouncing on her staff around the woman. "Curious." she said to herself as much as Ranma, "You are identical to your mother and neither of you look to be any older than about twenty. There are also no signs at all of striae gravidae from when she birthed you."

Ranma noticed a mirror hanging on the wall and got her first really good look at herself since falling into the spring. "Whoaaahh." She wobbled, but fought the blackness of a faint, as the first true realization hit.

Cologne looked Ranma's reflection in the eye, conveying a sense of sadness. Ranma couldn't guess if it was for her or the elder's great granddaughter. "The full import does not usually strike those touched by Jusenkyo until they see themselves in a mirror. I like you, child. Others might have spurned Shampoo or ignored her to bemoan themselves. You show great compassion and strength of spirit. That is something missing from too many Amazons, much less outsiders."

Ranma tore her gaze from the mirror, thoughts churning, and finished dressing in the purple pants with draw strings on the waist and ankles. The long sleeve top was a light green with a dragon embroidered onto the back. To her surprise, it looked good…but not girly. "I could get used to this", she thought. She took an experimental bounce and nodded in satisfaction at the lack of pain in her breasts. The clothes were a perfect fit and allowed total freedom of movement. Which she proved by performing a brief kata. Cologne nodded appreciatively to herself at the graceful display of Ranma's Art.

Cologne closed her eyes for a moment and then addressed Ranma. "Please take a seat, child and let me tell you a story."

After Ranma was seated comfortably, Cologne placed a cushion on the table and hopped onto it, sitting with her staff beside her. The matriarch then performed a bow, bringing her head to touch the table's surface, much to Ranma's surprise.

"About eighteen hundred years ago, a prophetess predicted your coming."

"Whaa! That's crazy. How could someone know about me that long ago. I ain't nothing special except for my Art."

"Let me tell my tale and then I'll answer any questions. Please."

"Okay…I guess."

"The woman's name was Phenol Phthalein, one of our greatest seers. Another was my younger sister, though her gift left her when she became an adult. She passed on during the birth of her first child. But back to the oldest vision. You were predicted with quite a bit of detail, though there is much left to happen. The woman who was the scribe that was supposed to take down what was in the prophesy became angered at the thought of an outsider taking the position that you are predicted to assume. She destroyed the scroll that she had written the prophesy on to cover up and erase the prophesy."

"She did not realize that there were two witnesses to Phenol's words. One was an ancestor of mine and the other was a male named Lu Tze, or Lucy as some would pronounce it. Our two clans have kept the prophesy alive and have slowly tried to change the tribe's attitudes. My sister foretold a schism within our tribe and I believe that it comes down to those who have a more open mind versus those of a more hidebound view of tradition. I wish to save those of us that I can."

Cologne went on to tell the full story of the prophecies and of the prediction the likely involvement of the gods.

"So your sister said I would be a daughter of Cronos? Well, I can tell you that Pops ain't very god-like. He's more oni-like, if you ask me. For that matter, I ain't very queen like." Was Ranma's comment.

"And so will your and your mother's babies as well. Conditioner ran a thorough dna analysis on you and your mother. She IS your mother, but, you are not completely human, even from your mother's line."

"What'cha mean by that?"

Cologne explained, "The tests showed that that was exactly the case. Soap had gotten a sample to perform an analysis on your father's dna in the form of his missing toe and, also important, from his seed, recovered when your mother was examined. Conditioner's analysis was both thorough and accurate. Genma is NOT your father, and I'm willing to bet that he isn't the father of the child that is being carried in your womb. The same goes for your mother's child.

Ranma was stunned. 'Ohmykamisama! Womb!? I forgot about that! I'm gonna have a baby! But I was a guy! Why don't I feel more upset or mad about it?' "Sob! What's goin' on with me? Why ain't I more worried about being a guy again?" She began to tear up and was wracked by hiccuping sobs. Cologne put her hand on the young woman's shoulder and tried to pass warm feelings through the contact.

"Ranma. Though the magic made your appearance identical to your mother's, your dna, your essence is still your own. It is possible that when you give birth, your looks will begin to change to reflect your true age and appearance. When you feel overwhelmed, just think about the tiny miracle that is growing inside you, the little girl that is totally dependent on you."

Ranma had one last hiccup and replied, "You're right. Right?" Cologne nodded. Ranma's countenance firmed, "I'll protect my family with my life!"

Cologne took a calming breath, "Ranma, 'Son-in-law'," the woman's ears perked up at that. "When Shampoo was being cursed, we were being monitored by the village council. Though I am the Matriarch by right of strength and knowledge, a slim majority of the council is still mired in the traditions of over three thousand years. You have the right to request that her curse be locked only temporarily, but they can also deny that same request. They can also deny egress from the village until you prove your loyalty, or at least willingness to call this place home."

"It is my intention to get your freedom and you can divorce shampoo once the tribe recognizes you as queen. You will then be free to marry anyone you wish. However, and this is very difficult to say, you and Shampoo must consummate the marriage."

"Whhaaa! No way! I know that Shampoo doesn't want to be a guy and I'm still not comfortable being a woman, like mom is."

"Ranma, you only need to do the deed once and believe me that the others will know if you have done it. Since you are already pregnant there should be no chance of being pregnant a second time."

"But shouldn't Shampoo and I love each other?"

"Child." Cologne's smile wasn't frightening at all. Spiritual sight is one of my Gifts, aside from the ki and magic swirling about you, I can see a red strand of light going from you to wherever Shampoo is. I can't say that you love her, but she most definitely loves you. I can speak as one who has known her from birth. She can see the man who dwells within as easily as I. There are at least two other 'strings of fate' leading from you to the east and you will need the freedom to seek them out. Shampoo can tell you who they are, if you have her with you."

Cologne decided not to mention the bright white pipeline of 'something' that led from her to…somewhere.

"Now for something that needs to be kept a secret for a time. The nannichuan that was used on Shampoo did not come from the spring, directly. I had done some research a number of years ago and found a way to make the water temporary, but more permanent than a common 'instant' variety. She will change with varying water temperature for at least one year but no longer than two years. You must NOT tell her this, for my plan to work."

"Once the marriage is consummated and Shampoo is locked with this medallion, which only works while she's wearing it, you will be allowed to leave together on a honeymoon. I am charging you with a 'Quest' to find whatever powers that you have and return. Though the council slavishly follows tradition, they respect a female with great power even more. I don't want to put any pressure on you, but if you haven't found your powers in six months, the tribe and your parents may no longer exist. I fear that our efforts to hold off the Chinese army are about to fail. Though a fair number of our warriors can dodge bullets, many opponents and concentrated fire will kill the greatest warrior."

"Much less the defenseless children and most of our men."

"Ranma?"

"Yes. My code, my honor requires me to protect the weak and innocent from others who would harm them for whatever reason." Ranma's eyes glazed over.

Again, with more concern, "Ranma!"

The young woman shook herself, "Huh. Yeah. S'just I got the knowledge ta do something that is a clue for you. Here goes." Ranma's voice was slurred and her actions seemed to reflect a trance-like state.

Cologne's eyes bugged out when the shining 'pipe' went from white to a black that absorbed all light. Ranma lazily traced a large circle in the air of the room. Crackling black lightning came from the tip of her finger and hung in the air, coalescing into a sphere of dark. Then small points of light appeared in the background. One of the brighter points of light swelled to a large, ringed planet. Cologne breathed one word, a name, "Cronos", as the planet expanded and the point of view passed through the rings toward a point in the southern hemisphere. Cologne glanced at Ranma, who held her hands outstretched and had her eyes closed, and returned her attention to the sphere as clouds appeared to be going by. In the distance, a string of floating, flattish objects came into view. The view point passed over one, coming in, lower and slower. The matriarch finally realized that she was seeing a continent sized chunk of land just floating in Saturn's atmosphere.

She saw clouds, huge lakes and great rivers. The entire mass had a hundred mile high wall around it. The next thing she knew, the vision was beyond the landmass and heading for one that appeared much larger. The sphere just topped the bounding wall and continued to approach what appeared to be a world of high mountains, intermixed with plains and lakes. The view was now low enough to show beautiful mountains, valleys and green plateaus. The end of the virtual ride now seemed in sight as a beautiful city hove into view, its lights twinkling in the gathering dusk.

The strange thing about the city was a total lack of movement or occupants. It looked like it could accommodate many millions of people which increased the strangeness to an unbearable level. A tremendous castle became visible in the heart of the city and one great tower came closer, with her view passing through an open window, high up on its side. She was seeing an awe inducing throne room. The throne was approached and there seemed to be a seated figure on it. But it soon became apparent that it was an image, like a flickering holograph. The figure looked a lot like Nodoka or Ranma. "Is this all?" she asked herself as much as Ranma. The response was the sphere turning into a mirror, showing only Ranma's reflection before seeming to vanish, allowing Ranma to exit her altered mental state.

Ranma was a bit shaky. "Elder, what was that ? I saw it in my mind's eye and that ball with rings around it looked like something I oughtta know about."

"That was a planet in our solar system. Saturn, to be precise."

"Cool. I always thought it was just a star that didn't twinkle."

"No, Ranma, it's a giant world very unlike ours that would swallow our Earth with little more than a splash in the pond. Those lands we saw were floating high in the atmosphere. The one with the city looked to be larger than Asia and India together."

"Looked like it might be a nice place to live, didn't it?"

Cologne had a shudder of enlightenment. She got off of her walking stick and bowed low. "Your highness."

The fact that this lady was kowtowing before her disturbed Ranma immensely. In fact it bordered on worship. That worried the young woman even more.

"Cologne, please get up. I'm awfully tired right now and would like to think on what you've told me. I think that I need to talk to mom about, about Pops not being my pops and how that might happen. Who might my real father be? Can you tell me all about your laws tomorrow?"

"I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have your highness. I beg permission to call you Ranma before the other villagers until your position is set."

"How about just calling me Ranma all the time. This royalty crap is creeping me out."

"Yes your highness."

"Ranma would you please follow me and I beg you to at least allow my great granddaughter to share your bed. It won't hurt anything and will keep the council from assuming what we don't want them to assume. After all, she 'is' one of your soul mates."

* * *

The two walked down a long hall in silence, Cologne's staff was, strangely, not making a sound as its hard end hit the floor. The ancient Amazon noted that the other woman's stride had become a more feminine one compared to the actual male gait displayed when the party had arrived in the village. The girl seemed to be adapting more than she knew or let on. 'Ranma will likely be completely woman in a matter of days. For her sanity, I should explain a few things.' 

"Ranma."

"Yes."

"You are showing signs of adapting to your condition. I want to explain that this is not uncommon. It is also a healthy response. Try to recognize that your body, hormones and brain activity are fully female. Your mind can trump mere physical reactions, but please realize that it is okay to explore your feelings and desires. Also, Remember this, when you are finally able to recover your male body, all of your male feelings will be restored, though tempered by your memories. You will win your battle by accepting and 'exploring' all of your feelings. Your mother embraced her sexuality and you would do well to follow her example. After all, you are her daughter now as well as her son. Here we are."

The two entered a room where Ranma's mother was seated by a bed that was occupied by her new 'husband' Shampoo. Ranma ran over and clutched her mother, seeking comfort. Nodoka responded by stroking Ranma's unbound hair and making soft noises. "This room is unmonitored, though and someone will be by in a bit to show you to your quarters, my queen."

"Hey! Its Ranma!"

Cologne grinned, "Yes, highness."

Nodoka noticed that Ranma had been brought out of her funk by this exchange and also noted what seemed to be real seriousness on the part of the matriarch. 'Is my child to be royalty? I think she meant a message for me more than to tease Ranma.' Noting that Ranma appeared to be staggering from some kind of exhaustion, she gently pushed her daughter into the bed beside Shampoo and sat beside her continuing to stroke her 'twin's' face and hair. Ranma began to repeat everything that she had learned from Cologne except for the temporariness of Shampoo's curse.

"Momma, they told me that Pops ain't my real dad, that whoever my real dad was, they weren't human."

Ranma stared at the look of total shock on her mother's face followed by denial, followed by realization, followed by something unrecognizable.

"Ranma. Ranma. It all makes sense now. Our wedding night, your father, Genma stepped out to get some sake to set the mood. When he returned, it was empty handed. He…he said that sake was a crutch and that he intended for it to be the best night of my life. He began to make gentle love to me and it took a long time to reach the clouds and rain. In my ecstasy I saw a symbol form on his forehead. It looked like a romanji 'h' with a crosspiece." She signed it in the air. "It felt like I was flooded with energy. I felt so alive! We repeated that first lovemaking many times that night before I passed out."

"In the morning…Genma woke me up, smelling of sake. I playfully asked him if he had needed to wing down after our night of passion and he looked at me in and odd way. He said that he hadn't been back and I told him that we had spent the night pillowing our brains out and that maybe his memory had been lost in the passion. He said that that made sense. And we made love as much as possible the rest of our honeymoon. I've always wondered why he never had that symbol on his forehead again and his manhood was never as large as that first night… OH MY! Except, except for the first night we made love after I had caught up with you two."

"So. Mom. I wonder who my real father is?"

"Son. Ranma, I hope it was a kami and not an oni, but I know that some powerful being is playing with our lives."

"Errr. Mom?"

"Yes dear."

"Cologne said that I need to 'make love' to Shampoo when she's a guy because we are married and need to consumptionate or something to pave the way for our adoption in the tribe."

"That's consummate, dear. And if you are to become fully woman while being in a woman's body, I think that you should submit to your husband's desires. Just as Shampoo will likely return your love when you are able to be male again. I. See. Nothing. Perverted about it, despite what your father…Genma might think. Now take a nap until someone is sent to take us to where we will sleep the rest of the night."

* * *

Ranma awoke to hear the closing of a door. Climbing the rest of the way out of sleep, she realized a few things. The place was above ground and moonlight was coming through a high window. She was naked and spooned against the muscular back of someone else in the bed, and they were naked too. And male, as her wandering hand told her. 'This must be what Cologne was talking about. The council must really want to see Shampoo set in her place, as well as me. 

Removing her hand from Shampoo's privates brought another sensation to the fore as her breasts began to telegraph unsettling sensations to the rest of her body. Ranma set her jaw to allow things to happen and not jump up screaming about pervert Amazons and with a strength of will shakily whispered, "Shampoo. Shampoo!" Gently shaking the broad shouldered male's arm.

A pleasant baritone voice said, "Wo daaa aiiiren. Ranma. Ranma?"

Sad, "Oh. Shampoo is airen. Shampoo is sorry cause trouble for Ranma. Will try be good husband for Ranma."

The redhead heard some sniffling and rolled the young man over to reveal tracks of tears running down his face. Ranma's heart melted. She leaned over from where she was sitting on his stomach and whispered in his ear. "I swear that things will change. You will be a girl again, I promise." They were distracted as a clear, beautiful bell tone rang through their very being. "Anyway I'm willing to consummate this marriage with you, even if I have to be the girl. Something inside me is telling me that your great grandmother and my mom were right and I'll grab what I can."

Ranma bent over to kiss Shampoo, who clumsily returned it, wrapping her arms around the girl, pressing her breasts tightly to his chest. From there, instinct took over.

The first time Ranma breathlessly said, "That didn't feel perverted at all. It felt really good." The next several times she was too busy screaming her joy to the heavens.

In the next room, Nodoka was inspired to test her husband's stamina as well. The neighbors weren't happy. Shampoo was ecstatic. Genma was happy, but worried about a promise made years before for a moment before shrugging to himself. "Meh."

* * *

Meanwhile many thousands of soldiers prepared themselves for battle in the largest operation against their fellow citizens since the revolution.

* * *

Toward morning, Ranma and shampoo were basking in the glow that only satisfied lovers could share. Though they had been up all night and were spent, they could not sleep. Ranma was finally able to take stock of her physical being and wrinkled her nose. "Euwww! Shampoo! We stink! Let's get cleaned up", as she tried to wipe the mess from her abdomen and thighs with the coarse sheets. Shampoo led her to the small shower in the corner bathroom. 

"Shampoo think old biddies on council should be happy, but Shampoo no care. Shampoo happy have Ranma."

The two stepped into the shower and shivered as the cold water restored their energy. They kissed, not stopping when Shampoo became female, just enjoying the sensations leading to a makeout session, when Ranma pushed herself away, looking at Shampoo with misty eyes. "Let's get cleaned up and dressed. Something is giving me a bad feeling. Like my happiness may be destroyed. The danger isn't here yet, but its close."

The two dressed and went to the kitchen area where Cologne and the rest of Ranma's family were sitting down to eat. Cologne and Nodoka were laughing about something and gave the newlyweds knowing glances, only to begin laughing again. The couple turned beet red.

"Shampoo, I am proud of you. Our opponents in the council were livid. They were sure that you would balk and that our new citizens would be done away with to save face. While you were cementing your marriage, I got enough swing votes to void the lock on your curse. You are still Ranma's husband, but your warrior status has been saved. Ranma is now my Great granddaughter and a change is in the air. Ranma' what is troubling you?"

"Elder, I'm happy and all, but I have a feeling of great impending danger. Its like thousands of enemies are looking at me with killing intent."

Cologne replied, "That's curious. If anything were in the valley like that I should sense it myself." She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Artemis preserve us! Your right, something's coming over the eastern pass. They must have overwhelmed the outposts too quickly to raise an alarm. It feels like the Chinese army. We will NOT go the way of Tibet! I have to warn the village!"

With that the old woman blurred out of the yurt, shouting orders. A bell began tolling and people began going about preparation for war. Children and noncombatant men began to stream into the building that Ranma and her mother had gone into just yesterday to shelter far underground. Ranma, Shampoo, Nodoka and Genma observed all of this as they ran to the top of a small hill off the village square. Amazon warriors were running to trenches that zig-zagged through the fields toward the pass.

Ranma was a tactician of no small means. He was versed in Sun Tzu and in American battle tactics. An American officer had taught him the basics when they had stayed on a base in Okinawa, in return for some training in basic anything goes. As a twelve year old, he had gotten the respect of hardened fighters two to four times his age.

Her training allowed her to assess, in a moment, all variables based on what was visible and what she could sense.

"We're screwed!" Shampoo gave a cute grunt of assent.

"You're right, Ranma." Cologne appeared next to them, holding her arm which appeared broken. "The half of the council that opposed us in Shampoo's case are also traitors. They are selling out the tribe in order to get leadership positions and a cut of the looting of secrets. They have either incapacitated or killed the other council members. There they go!"

The group watched as a group of old women marched toward the approaching tanks and infantry waving white flags from their staffs.

Suddenly, the women looked up at the sky. Ranma's group followed suit, as a jet flew in, over the ridge and lobbed a missile. The women never had a chance as the explosion ripped them to shreds and scattered bomblets that took out several warriors in nearby trenches.

Cologne spoke, "Well that was justice, but it just means that they don't want prisoners and think that they can figure out our secrets for themselves. This is the end for us."

Genma spoke up to Ranma for the first time since the feast the day before. "Son, I wasn't planning on doing this until you had your own dojo, but I must break out my two forbidden schools of techniques. I'll give you the keys. I have been teaching you the basics for the last year and a half, building your ki up to it. The first is the most deadly move of the way of the noisy thief, or Yamasenken. Move like so and let neutral ki slide off your fingers to create vacuum ki blades. He repeated the technique and scythe shaped ripples flew toward a tree a hundred yards away."

Ranma spoke, "So you HAVE been holding out, old man, but yeah, I see."

"Well the other school is the Umisenken, potentially the most powerful school. Take a cloth and allow negative ki to flow through and off of it to form a shield against detection around yourself." With that, he pulled out a cloth and waved it around himself in a particular manner. Ranma nodded to herself as the fat martial artist repeated the move and vanished from view.

"I see how it was done, though there might be a few flaws." Ranma reached deeply for his ki, but found something else and drew upon it, calling out a name making the technique her own. Flinging her arms out, she called out, "Silence Blade!"

Immediately, two black scythes flew across the valley, striking one of the few tanks moving in the open, fully exposed. The tank split into four sections from the x-shaped cuts through the body of the tank. Seconds later, a massive explosion obliterated the vehicle, scattering the soldiers who escaped the explosion. The enemy panicked, as the attack was nearly invisible from the front.

The Amazons took heart and charged the enemy. The women would touch the ground with a finger, somehow causing it to explode, creating a dust screen for them to attack through. One warrior ran around a tank, weaving through the soldiers shooting at her, in a spiral pattern. When she was next to the tank, she punched into the air. A powerful tornado sucked up the tank and many men who fell to their deaths. Unfortunately for the woman, stopping to deliver the punch proved fatal, her body riddled with bullets from soldiers outside the circle of destruction.

The tribe's warriors, including several men destroyed a significant portion of the advancing forces, but were mown down by the over whelming forces.

Shampoo screamed "Mousse!!" as a man cleared a field of soldiers with bladed chain weapons, only to do a macabre dance of death as bullets stitched him from toe to head. "Ranma, go to shelter, protect life that is in you tummy. Shampoo always love you." Shampoo laid a blistering kiss on Ranma and charged off, bouncing like a mad ping pong ball.

Ranma stood there like a statue, for a moment, and watched in horror as several things happened. Shampoo had jumped the wall and was mowing soldiers down as she casually reached over to touch a tanks armor. She would have been clear from the debris, but the reactive armor exploded as the magazine blew from the touch. Shampoo saw the wave front and everything went white.

Shampoo's death caused Ranma to snap.

Ranma started calling out "Silence Blade" repeatedly. Blasting tanks and soldiers around the valley. One blade hit the cliff above the pass, causing a landslide, but too many were in the valley already and helicopter gunships were coming over the ridges. The hopelessness of the situation got to Ranma as she saw her mother take a hit to her shoulder and felt a stray bullet take a chunk from a calf.

Suddenly, for Ranma, time slowed as a cry for help came from somewhere deep in her soul. Genma took a hit to his chest in slow motion and everything stopped with the bullet exiting his back by mere inches.

A warm voice coming from everywhere spoke to Ranma, "I hear you call, daughter, who is also my son. I will give you your heritage a little early, and help you keep your promise. There is a price as your humanity will become even less a part of you, but you should not mind it. Are you ready? Ranma sobbed out "Yes, please."

The world was shaking, but it was Ranma who shook as the white pipe that Cologne had noticed previously turned a purple so dark it seemed black as it expanded, an ocean of energy poured into the young woman. Light burst from her, burning away the vestiges of her mortality. Her belly burned even brighter as a black taint burned off like a scrap of paper. From Ranma's head, a kitten burst forth to lie on the ground, mewing piteously. Ranma took no note as pain wracked her very being. The light muted down and Ranma appeared as a spinning silhouette of a void filled with stars. After an infinitely long instant, ribbons of light surrounded her, clothing her in a mid thigh length purple skirt, trimmed in white, white leotard and dark purple bows on her breast and lower back, the symbol of Saturn shone gold on her fore head and she wore a silver crown. In her hand was a polearm, a glaive taller than she was, that pulsed with lambent energy. Her feet were covered by purple slippers with white trim.

She opened her eyes as her surroundings were very slowly speeding up. A shield around the group formed with a thought.

Her shout was heard through the whole battlefield. "ENOUGH!"

Tears running down her cheek, she whispered, "Silence Bobble" everything in view stopped with the exception of the group that had been shielded. They all floated from the ground and moved away from the carnage over the mountains to the east. They popped out of the boundary after traversing a number of miles, high above the ground, but began to descend gently in an eastward direction.

After they landed, Genma and Nodoka both collapsed. She worried about her mother but Genma was in worse shape. Actually, he was dead. "Dead." Ranma said, "But, I have your body." She drove the point of the glaive into the wound and called out, "Resurrection." A white light flowed into Genma's corpse and as she pulled out the glaive the wounds closed and he began to breathe, his skin turning a healthy color.

Nodoka lay on the ground, unconscious, but alive. Ranma merely placed her hands on the wound. Blood crawled back into her body and the wound closed, her breathing took on a relaxed pace. She turned to a broken looking Cologne, whose empty eyes spoke volumes. "Ranma, I guess it was too late. I don't blame you."

"Hey! I'll grieve for Shampoo when we're safe. Sure, you lost a quarter of your warriors and maybe half the men on the field. But do you see that? That is a void of time. A bobble. We have to get away from here soon, before hell breaks loose, literally."

Genma chose that moment to awaken. "Ranma? Was I dead?"

Ranma sighed, resignedly. "Yeah oyaji, as a doornail."

Genma flinched, "Well, I saw Shampoo talking to a big man with a white beard, he had a symbol on his head just like that one on your crown. Crown? Anyway he said something about returning her to you because of a promise Errk!"

Ranma had grabbed his bloody gi and said, "Are you sure?" The fat man nodded. Ranma picked up a now smiling Cologne and placed her on her shoulder. Dismissed the glaive with a flick and picked her mother up in a bridal carry. "Well lets get away from here." The four of them began walking east at a jaunty clip. Ranma's clothes shifted back to what she had been wearing that morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Orchid Queen of Saturn**

Chapter 2

I do not own Ranma One Half, Sailor Moon, or any bits and pieces of other original works. I also hope you don't mind a bit of twisted Mary Sue with your coffee.

Ranma and her 'entourage' were standing at the edge of the camp that they had established in a high pass in the Kun Lun Mountains about fifty clicks from the event horizon of her 'bobble'. They had picked up two amazon patrols of eleven warriors each that had been fortunate enough to be beyond the artifact. The women and two male warriors were going about setting up the camp and a defensible perimeter by Cologne's orders.

Cologne shook her head at what was going on at the edge of the mirror surface. It seemed that the people's army was affronted that someone with power was thwarting their intent to conquer the last area independent of Beijing. The thing was so big that the top of the dome-like structure was technically in space. The local weather was severely affected, though the area in which they camped was clear for the time being.

Cologne broke the silence that had reigned for several minutes, "It is humbling to be in the presence of something so vast. It is even more so for those fools in the army that insist on trying to penetrate that thing." This was said as a boom and fireball from a large air fuel bomb with the power of a small tactical nuke went off near the ground several clicks to the northwest of their position. The blast pressure wave arrived at the camp and brought with it the noise, but only ruffled their hair.

Ranma finally spoke in a voice that had a far off quality, "Bobbles are easy, and, surprisingly malleable. I'm glad that the information that was stuffed into my head came with certain cautions." With that she resumed her transformation and took on a look of concentration. The warriors in the camp, as well as her immediate companions, stopped what they were doing and watched Ranma become a silhouette of a void filled with what looked like stars. Her hand seemed to reach out to the bobble and it began to change, becoming lenticular in shape, now only going up about ten thousand feet above the landscape. "When the time is right, Cologne, your people and everyone else in there will be utterly beyond the reach of these people who would harm you. Mom. Take me home."

Ranma's transformation fell away and she collapsed. Nodoka rushed to catch her, but Genma was there first to catch her and cradle her in his arms. Thoughts of learning techniques passed through his head, but he needed to ingratiate himself first. Ranma was laid on a cot with a futon that made a more comfortable bed. Cologne assessed Ranma, but could not detect any reason for the neowoman's exhaustion. She seemed to be in a sleep bordering on a coma and still had the connections going out from her according to her spirit sight. A sob arose from the old woman when she realized that Shampoo's red string was not visible. Her only comfort came from the statement that Genma had made that Shampoo would be returned to them.

* * *

Ranma slowly came to awareness finding herself supine on a round bed set in a plain that went forever in all directions. She also became aware that she was naked. Hearing a noise behind her, Ranma stood on the bed and whirled to face a great hole that was widening. She was almost overcome by the power that was approaching. A white mountain covered in whorls began to rise, revealing that it was a head. The head was followed by the rest of a body moving as if it were climbing stairs. 

As the giant man stepped out onto the plain, the chasm began to close. His hair was white and curly, as was his full beard, robes covered the rest of him as well. He spoke, surprisingly softly, "Daughter, please be seated. We are here to answer some questions and perform some damage control. Yes." The giant chuckled. "I am aware that you are a 'guy dammit'. You are also 'my' son. Not that stupid weak willed waste of flesh who poses as your father. However, his genes are needed for your other brothers and sisters."

"How can you be my father, being that large?"

"This plane we are on manifests our power of spirit combined with our domains. Since you are a fledgling deity, only great amounts of time will allow you to grow. And. Grow you will. I have returned you to where you would have been had you awakened normally. Your powers could have been fatal to you or your world as you were."

"But what about Shampoo? I wasn't able to save her." Ranma began to tear up. "They didn't even leave a body to resurrect. I-I I loved her. Instantly, I knew that we were meant to be together."

"And you'll be together again, I promise." A clear tone sounded around them. "Hear that? That means that I must bring my promise to pass. And that is to make your own promise come true. Remember?"

Ranma smiled. "So, do I call you Pops?"

"I am called Khronos, but from you, I'll accept anything. Especially if you could someday say it with love in your heart. Know this, if I could have, I would have been with you every minute of your life. I accept any blame for your problems and I won't make any excuses, but I do expect you to understand in the end. Now lie back down and sleep, what I must do now is best done without your full awareness. I beg you to trust."

Ranma's eyes began to get heavy, but for some reason she felt warm and protected despite her nudity. 'Nudity? Oh, well. At least Pops is being up front…' Her consciousness left with no forwarding address.

Khronos walked up to Ranma, now of more human dimensions, and bent down to kiss her forehead. "I'll get to spend time with you some day, beloved child and the same goes for your sisters and soon brothers. For now some things will be forgotten and others limited. Go in Love, daughter son."

* * *

The elder, Nodoka and Genma sat at the campfire in front of Ranma's tent. "Nodoka, I wish to speak to you of some things privately. Can you send this male away?" 

At this, Genma began to sputter and puff up, his ingrained misogynistic tendencies reasserting themselves. "What do you mean? As the sole remaining martial artist and Saotome man, I'll have to lead and decide what is best for us. Weak women don't have a place except to support…"

His rant was cut off as Cologne casually hit his sleep point. "That will be enough of that. You will sleep until we are done. Male."

Nodoka had jumped up at the start of the tirade, but sat back down when she saw that her husband had been taken care of. "That man! Genetics and martial arts are all that he has to commend him. Aside from the promise that his brother Souichi is showing, Oh. And he has the most amazing staying power in the sack. Though, sex aside, if it weren't for the need for his seed, I'm just as tempted to make his next lesson severing his head instead of another toe."

Cologne examined Genma, going as far as to lift his gi and pull out the waist band to look at his testimonials. Her eyebrow rose in appreciation. "Yes, it would be a shame to lose a treasure such as that, but have you thought about using a sperm bank to store his seed?"

"That is a good idea, but certain qualities are lost in cryogenic storage. Qualities that can only be passed on when both parents are alive and intent on the act."

Cologne came over to settle across from her. The old woman reached into her robes and pulled out a small, midnight blue kitten from her robes and handed it across to Nodoka. The auburn haired woman examined it to notice that it was female and had the same symbol that had been on Ranma's forehead and crown. "That cat sprang from young Ranma's head. I sense no evil in it and Ranma may want it when she wakes up. Tell me! Have you heard of the nekoken?"

"No. What is it?" The kitten settled into Nodoka's lap and purred as it looked attentively up at the woman who began to pet it and the elder across from them.

"It's a terrible and flawed technique that some idiotic martial artist came up with to capture a cat's ferocity and natural abilities within a student. I think that cat is representative, or the symbol of that technique in Ranma."

"What's so bad about a fighting technique, elder?"

Cologne made to answer when a voice interrupted from Nodoka's lap, "It is a ritual, intended to invite demonic possession into an innocent sacrificial human child of no more than eight years of age." The women goggled at a talking cat in their midst. "The original intent was to create an unstoppable berserk warrior deep in the territory of an enemy. Several children would be prepared, so that at least one would be ready at any time. It was understood that the trainer, usually a parent was also a part of the sacrifice as they were the first victim. It was an early version of weapons of mass destruction. Entire cities were destroyed with few survivors. After a while, the child's body deteriorated to a point that it died, normally in less than a lunar cycle."

Hearing this, Nodoka's eyes widened, 'Cologne sensed no evil in the kitten.' "If that is true, then why are my son and husband even alive?"

"That would be because of me. And, my god, and lover Khronos. It was I who watched your sixth great grandmother, Shampoo, and her future husband Lucy in the shadows as the traitor Lo Fat destroyed my prophecy, all those years ago. I went by the name Phenol Phthalein back then. Now that I am mau, just call me Kitty."

Cologne asked in a shaky voice, "Then could you tell me, please. What of my great grandchild?"

"She will be returned in the fullness of time, but I will not say more. Let me say that I enjoy happy surprises. Anyway, now that I'm corporeal again, its time to fill you two in on about fifty thousand years of history."

* * *

…Hani Pa Ti Let the valley be narrow… (Meaningless quote?) 

About fifty thousand years ago, the first queen Serenity was born on the Earth's moon. She was the result of the first technomagic experiments binding a human's spirit to the mana of a planetary body. Unknown at the time, the affinity required for the bond was due to the person being a descendant, however remote, of the deity associated with that world. With her unconscious aid, the first magic powered terrasphere was created. The moon was given earth gravity, a breathable atmosphere, and life forms brought from the earth. Her link manifested as a palace, computer and control complex. It was fully self maintaining as long as one of the royal line for that world was alive.

Over time, ships of crystal carried colonists to virtually every planetary body capable of supporting the world-human symbiosis. Earth, having a natural biosphere was not bonded and remained independent and fragmented.

Through it all, the moon kingdom retained leadership as the current Serenity would always place a secondary bond, or geas of fealty when a new world's binding was performed. This bond also had a side effect of limiting the intensity of the bond in male descendants of the royal lines, effectively predicating a matriarchy. Fortunately the Serenity line was benign to a fault, though several of the elder gods disliked having their descendants bound to the moon kingdom, no matter how lightly the reins were held.

To maintain control, Serenity IV had warrior mantles created for the worlds of her kingdom. She used the newly created Ginzuisho to do this. These senshi were the queens, or their daughters, of their respective worlds. The mantles carried a third bond, one of greater fealty, and could be revoked along with all ties to the planet. The gods were further irritated, but chose not to intervene as long as the Serenity line stayed in line.

The first senshi of Saturn invoked nervousness in the moon queen and the other senshi and was not allowed to pass on her mantle. It was modified such that the youngest heir to the throne would receive it in time of threat to the entire kingdom and assurance was provided that the senshi of destruction would not live past her usefulness. Khronos was pissed and set about a very long term plan to correct this travesty. He was also plenty upset that his Gates of Time were removed to Pluto and given to the most loyal senshi of the queen.

Still.

The kingdom (or queendom) prospered.

The Silver Millennium commenced when the last rock that could had a terrasphere. The seeds of destruction were also sown at that time by malevolent entities filled with hunger for the worlds teeming with life. These beings fed upon life energy and fed until a world was dry with no effort at preserving their food source in their gluttony. They doomed themselves to die, eventually, but not until all life everywhere was dead first.

These evil creatures used pawns to slowly gather power in preparation for the destruction of all life in the solar system in a cosmic feeding frenzy. Thus, the Silver Millennium would come to an end in the time of Serenity IX.

The Queen and her senshi were concerned when Queen Saturn's daughter suddenly ascended to senshihood. Effort was expended to integrate her into the team as quickly as possible. As it was, the Inner Senshi had all received their mantles only in the last two years due to unexplainable illnesses and deaths of their predecessors. With Sailor Saturn's awakening, attention was paid to the suspicious happenstances. Though there was a competent standing army, Serenity and her senshi had the real firepower. To offset the weakness of the inner senshi, the queen prepared a mantle for her daughter to take over Venus's normal lead.

The Moon Kingdom prepared as best it could for its greatest challenge, even with the relatively weak and inexperienced core of the senshi.

The assault, when it came was totally unexpected. The queen of Atlantis, Beryl, had corrupted the majority of earth's population as she had been corrupted. Her desire to have Prince Endymion of Mu and rule Earth had been thwarted by the fact that he had fallen in love with the Moon Princess. The thought of not possessing the prince drove her to madness and led her to attack before her generals had recommended.

Still all life off earth perished and the planets and other bodies, not having a link to their royal lines lost their atmospheres and fell into decay, while the demon hordes were forced into a locked, mini universe by the Queen's last sacrificial act. At the same time, she gathered the spirits of as many of her senshi as possible and sent them into the future to be reborn, hopefully to recover the kingdom and prepare for a war against the bound evil.

Thus, ended the Silver Millenium.

There was one exception, Queen Saturn and several children of her sisters and cousins had followed a vision given by Khronos to the queen. They were visiting some friends in a remote province of Mu under the pretext of looking for marriageable males for the cadre of giggling girls.

Their mountain fastness survived the demon attacks, but Queen Saturn's powers became much reduced due to the damage to her home world. Castle Saturn began to Restore itself and its world with the help of the links to the Saturn royalty on earth. Queen Saturn died before her world had recovered enough to open the "downlink" to her daughter by one of Earth's former nobility. However, small "uplinks" remained for all descendants of the royal line and Saturn continued to recover.

Meanwhile, Khronos began a breeding program for his descendants and took up a hobby of feeding Sailor Pluto, who is stuck at the Gates of Time, wild misinformation for entertainment. It is rumored that she believes that she can bring about a crystal utopia. It is also rumored that Khronos laughed for years about it.

The original Amazons were also part of the breeding program. They were a dilute line of descendants of the goddess Artemis. She and Khronos were the two gods most dissatisfied with the way things were going, early on, and collaborated to bring about the next step in human evolution. They knew an evil would arise, though its chaotic elements hid it from clear view. To combat chaos, they instilled a pure form of chaos into their children.

End of historical briefing. 38-22-34

* * *

Nodoka and Cologne were at a loss for words at this revelation. 

After a few minutes of silence, Nodoka found words. With incipient anger, she spoke. "We were just breeding stock, like cattle, Mao-chan?"

Cologne said, "Makes sense to me, we have practiced it for millennia upon ourselves."

Kitty replied, "Khronos and Artemis loved their children and wanted them to become stronger. Ranma is the pinnacle of Khronos' efforts, and one of a kind, but Shampoo or a sibling will be required to 'fix' the powers in his or her descendants to establish the 'downlink' without the requirement of another empowered royal to be present or be on Saturn's soil."

"Shampoo's double first cousin Rinse would be able to fill in, but Shampoo has been lost as a vector, though." said Cologne.

Kitty just smirked in a feline manner. "Wellll-l-l ah maybe not lost but…how that is, is a secret."

Two face faults were followed by mumbled remarks on the advantages of catgut for violins as opposed to modern materials.

Ranma had not awakened in the morning. Cologne was encouraged by the cat's lack of concern, but decided that action was required. "Nodoka. Your daughter mentioned going home. Does that mean you have a home to go to?"

"Yes elder. If we can get to Tokyo, there is a modest estate around a shrine that has been in my family far longer than we have written records. You and all of your tribe's people that have escaped being caught up in that thing can find haven there. We just need to get there and my family will help."

"Well just leave that to me child." Cologne called her people to her. About sixty warriors and men had been beyond the bobble and a few more would likely show up, in answer to her silent signal. Some rapidfire mandarin resulted in the encampment being totally dismantled with none of the equipment visible as packs or other gear. Ranma was placed on a stretcher and carried gently by two men. Four warrior women took the lead and two followed behind. The remaining tribespeople simply vanished, though Nodoka felt that they were near enough to provide aid.

Cologne bounced up to seat herself in a small litter on the shoulders of an amazon warrior who just seemed to appear from the woods around them. With a call from the matriarch the band began to march to the southeast.

* * *

Three days later, as they camped in a gorge, protected from the sky by an overhang of rock, Ranma finally awakened as the last of the day's light faded from the canyon's rim. 

Ranma saw his mother's face peering at him, full of concern. She realized that her hand was being held by her mother's two. "Mom? Is someone cooking? I'm starved."

Nodoka began to laugh while tears streamed down her face, "Yes, Ranma, you'll be able to eat soon. And I'll bring it to you soon as its ready."

"Okay Momma, just don't let Pops get it all."

"Don't worry, he's too busy bandaging his other pinky toe stub. He needed another lesson in politeness a little earlier."

"Momma, I had a dream that Pops died and you were hurt bad. Where's Shampoo?"

"Nodoka, let me tell her," Cologne interjected. "Ranma, you may be feeling some symptoms of combat fatigue. Much of what may seem to be dreams likely happened."

"Sh-Shampoo's dead?"

"Yes child, she died a true warrior defending her home."

"No."

"Ranma, it really happened, I don't know what to say, but she's gone, baby." Nodoka wrapped Ranma into her arms as she began to wail her grief.

Cologne softly spoke, "Ranma, Shampoo was as precious to me as life itself, but she died as befit an Amazon, as she would have desired. She was protecting her family and her people." A tear made itself evident in the old woman's eye. "However," she straightened, "Know this, your father died, but you brought him back to life. He saw Shampoo and was told that she would be returned to us. We also had…other confirmation that she would be returned to us."

"You said I brought Pops back from the dead? I don't really remember."

Nodoka spoke with a quavering voice, "I saw it myself. You healed my wounds with just your touch."

Cologne spoke, "If it will make you feel useful, we have a few people whose injuries are very painful, if not life threatening. If you could find it in yourself to help them, I would appreciate it. After you eat." A man entered the tent with enough food for everyone. Nodoka took a plate and handed it to Ranma, who started slowly, but sped up as she started feeling better.

Once she was refreshed, Ranma left the tent and healed everyone, down to the tiniest scratch and hidden tumor. Afterward, Ranma began to perform some katas of the Saotome school between the fire and the river. Before long she had an audience of about a dozen warriors held in thrall by the spectacular grace of her deadly dance. A few began to attempt to mimic the motions of the kata. Ranma noticed and began to flit around, correcting the more obvious faults, smiling all the while.

Ranma then moved to the advanced katas of her school, moving through all of the most recently acquired techniques without applying the ki that made them so deadly. None watching was able to follow these moves, except for Cologne, who was awestruck. 'No one that young should have the power and control that child has. I pity any who would cross her.'

After her workout was done, Ranma went to the river to bathe in an eddy that had attracted the 'off duty' amazon men and women. Stripping out of her clothes, she marched somewhat self-consciously to the water's edge. A beautiful green haired woman offered Ranma her bathing supplies, to which she nodded thanks and began to perform her ablutions. She felt the stares of men and women alike, but there was no lust associated with it, at least not much. What overwhelmed her ki senses was the feeling of being worshipped. In a way it felt kind of good and energizing, but she felt a little unworthy.

"And who says you're unworthy of worship, mistress?" came a voice from a nearby rock. "Yes. The cat is speaking. Their worship helps to restore your strength, quickly." Spoke the small kitten with the symbol on its forehead.

'Was that cat reading my thoughts? Why don't I feel afraid?'

"Yes, I am reading your uppermost thoughts. Your father. Your real father didn't want you to have such an easily exploited weakness, so here I am, your cat advisor and guardian. You no longer have access to your chi claws, but admit it. You have much better weapons at your disposal now."

"So. Do you have the nekoken…"

"Of course, I'm a cat. Duh! You can call me Mau-chan like your mother does, but I have a fondness for Kitty."

Ranma moved to the edge of the stream and sat on a flat rock and proceeded to dry her hair out. The green haired amazon approached her, "Would you like for me to comb the tangles out of your hair? My name is Rinse." Ranma nodded, still a little nervous around other women.

"Thanks. And I appreciate your good Japanese. Do you think that you could help me learn to speak Mandarin?" Ranma said.

"Sure. We'll work on it on our way to your home in Japan."

As Rinse took care of Ranma's hair, Kitty jumped into her lap and began to sniff every part of the auburn haired girl's anatomy that she could. "What ARE you doing?" Ranma squeaked out. She was feeling ticklish, especially in the private spots that the kitten had poked her damp nose.

"Well excuse me if I don't have my Mau senses fully running, but I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. You 'smell' very pregnant and smell very nice otherwise."

"What? Do I stink because I'm pregnant?"

The kitten sat up on her haunches and waved her paws around while sweat dropping. "No no no. No! I think you smell nice. Its just a nice pregnant smell. I'm sorry. Okay?"

Rinse snickered and continued to comb out Ranma's hair, finally braiding it and tying the end with a small bow. The green haired girl took on a look of sadness. "I. I. You know. Shampoo and I were as close as sisters. Well, as close as you can get without having the same parents. We were double first cousins. I offered to take Shampoo's place as your husband in the hospital, but great grandmother Cologne said it was Shampoo's destiny. I miss her."

"Elder Cologne was right. Shampoo and I had an instant connection. It was like I had fallen in love with her long before and just had to remember it. It made it a lot easier to accept that I had become a woman." Ranma began to turn bright red. Changing the subject, "Uh, what're double first cousins?"

"My mother and Shampoo's mother were siblings. The same holds true for my father and Shampoo's father. Our hair color is like our mother's, but otherwise we're as similar as sisters can be, though my talents tend to be toward science as opposed to Shampoo's warrior skills. My battle skills are only average."

"Well, Rinse, can I call you sister?"

"I'd love that, sister-brother." The girl hugged the auburn haired woman.

Ranma and Rinse got up and walked to their clothing with Kitty following. Except for the guards everyone went to sleep as best they were able.

* * *

A week later, a large group of disguised Amazons climbed from a train and seemed to scatter with the normal passengers. Hours later still, the group boarded a tramp freighter headed for Tokyo by ones and twos.

* * *

Six more days found the group vanishing into the crowds of Tokyo dressed as tourists. A chartered bus carried them to a point in the northern part of Nerima district at the outskirts of the city. The group stood at the edge of what appeared to be a deep ravine. Some of the warriors looked nervously over the edge and at the strangely quiet other side, seemingly only feet away. Spooked would only begin to cover the chills that went down several spines. 

Nodoka took that moment to speak, after ensuring that no strangers were within hearing range. "You are now going to see why my family line has survived to this day without being buffeted by wars or politics, though we have delved into both. Cologne, it's also why I sent Genma to visit his friend before we came here. You must all swear fealty to the Saotome clan. The valley will know if your allegiance is true."

Cologne spoke up, "The Amazons will not bow down to any foreign power, but if we swore to follow your daughter (or son) and her (or his) heirs, would that suffice? And, why isn't Genma here?"

"I think that the valley will recognize your distinction. As for Genma, he married into the clan and has no say or trust among us."

Cologne shouted out in some words of a language unique to the Amazons and the entire troupe dropped to one knee and bowed their heads to Ranma. The elder declared, "Our allegiance and our lives are in your hands, Ranma. Please accept our fealty and we pray to you for your and your heirs compassion and guidance. This goes for the entire tribe by my authority which now is submitted to you, our deity."

Nodoka then called out, "Oh narrow valley, open up to these, my child's subjects who shall faithfully dedicate themselves to the cause of our clan. Hani Pa Ti a Go Weh!"

The edges of the ravine began to spread apart to the perceptions of the amazons until a large and lush valley was spread out before them.

Cologne whispered, "If only we had had this spell, we would need never have feared invasion by any of our enemies."

"But would you have become complacent in your isolation?" said Kitty from her perch on Cologne's head. "Could you have had the influx of strong genes from the husbands that the tribe absorbed over the millennia? The royal house of Saturn went out and interacted as much as they could with the world. My lord Khronos seldom had to intervene in matings as he did with the Orchid Child's mother. I have seen her other form at the springs and the Chaos Horse will be valuable as well. He has the Skagganuk Abyss hidden deep within, complimentary abilities in one person thanks to his and her dual nature. When female, the Abyss cannot fully manifest, but you have seen precursors of it when she appears to have the void of the black night sky showing through her at times. That is just the barest bleed through of the Abyss."

"What is this Skagganuk Abyss? I've never heard of it."

"Cologne-chan, it is the most wonderful thing only theorized by the gods. It is a window, controlled by the will of its possessor, into the other side of all black holes. The 'stars' you see in it are actually white holes where energy comes into existence. This energy can be tapped—for things. Wonderful things. But what, ultimately…must remain a secret. Anyway, enough cosmology and heredity, lets go meet the rest of our new family."

Cologne hopped up to her waiting litter and they followed the rest of the tribespeople down the road into the Tanima Semai.

By the time Cologne and Kitty had caught up with Ranma and Nodoka, they were entering the gates of a truly ancient shrine as a priest and priestess came running up to greet Nodoka. The priestess enveloped Nodoka in a hug. "Granddaughter! We have wonderful news. The console came to life and the power crystals seem to be fully charged! Hello! Who is this?" She looked over Ranma carefully. "She would be your identical twin, except that my daughter, may she be at peace, never had twins."

"Grandmother Kasumi, I would like to reintroduce Ranma."

"But. But, Ranma was a boy the last I saw him?"

"Are-Are you really my great grandmother." Spoke Ranma.

"Yes, if your mother says that you are my great grandchild, I suppose I must be."

"Ranma looks like me because of a magic spring in a place called Jusenkyo. In saving my life, he was changed as you see. She cannot change back into his birth form for some months yet, because, like me, she is pregnant. Which has locked her in her present gender until she gives birth. We can go over the whole story over the evening meal. We do have enough for my daughter's entourage, don't we."

"Don't worry, we've sent some of your younger cousins out to buy out the contents of a catering store. Housing and long term arrangements will be made before everyone sleeps tonight. Now, as I was trying to tell you, the Ouza no Sata-n came to life a few days ago. Our family can finally return home."

Nodoka took this in and added it to the knowledge imparted by kitty a couple of weeks before and said, "Grandmother, could you have someone show Ranma and her guardians to the onsen. They can all use some restoration after their long journey to get here." Getting a nod, she addressed Ranma, "Please go with your friends as I have some catching up to do between now and supper. There may not be many children in the valley, but those we have will be dying to meet you and our new clan members. Our onsen is big enough to accommodate everyone."

Ranma hadn't known her mother all that long, but she recognized a dismissal because of 'business' when she saw it. "Sure Momma, I'll see you at supper then." Ranma and all of the Amazons followed a small group of young teenagers off to use the facilities. Cologne stayed behind after a meaningful look from Nodoka.

"Cologne. You are about to be introduced to some of the Saotome secrets. Being a part of the clan through marriage and head of my 'daughter's' new guard, you have this right."

Nodoka looked to her priestess grandmother and said, "I suppose that you are finally getting what you wished for. Kami-sama knows you've been after me for the last fifty years to become head of the clan."

Cologne wore a surprised look, "I don't want to seem impertinent, but I was under the impression that you weren't over forty. May I ask…"

"You may ask." Nodoka smiled, with maybe a little bit of an evil smirk. "I am older than my teeth and younger than my mother." Kasumi and the priest both grinned at the dodge so often used by their clan when referring to their age. "Barring war and accident, the women of our line carry our youthful appearances into our third century. You are older than I, but not by as much as you think. We wouldn't have retained as much knowledge of our past as we have without having the longevity to assimilate it. The emperors of Japan are a somewhat shorter lived cadet line of our family, we all claim descent from the immigrant queen, Amaterasu. Ironic, isn't it that the sun goddess was actually the Saturn goddess. Of course the emperors serve for a time, using tricks to look older until retirement, when they 'pass away'. Some come here and others go out into the world to pass the time, doing what interests them. We aren't immortal, except for Ranma and our children, maybe. "

"Well, aside from envying your girlish figure, I am burning with curiosity about this Throne of Saturn you are talking of," said Cologne.

Again surprising those present, a voice piped up at their feet, "Now cologne-chan you know that you could be looking just as young as Nodoka here if you wanted to."

Kasumi spoke up excitedly, "A mau! This IS auspicious!"

"Well do I know this," Cologne said to Kitty, "but we eschew using anything but our chi to lengthen our lives. We have to eventually bow out for the next generations and going to the next life is the honorable way…"

Kitty interrupted, "Not necessary any more! I passed on after over six hundred years. The reason was that more genetic manipulation was needed for our people and we would not have had enough generations to get where we are if normal life spans were too great. It won't be needed now, we just have to protect the young Rinse and ensure that she mates with some of Ranma or Nodoka's offspring by Khronos. With the traitors out of the way, you can decree equality for our men and allow access to the human springs of choice for those that desire it."

Cologne sat down on the ground, her staff clattering to one side. "You are bringing revolutionary thoughts too fast for this old woman to grasp. Yes. I've had thoughts about some of those things, but only to myself, late at night."

"But you can handle it Cologne-chan." said Kitty, as the others watched.

"I have no choice but to 'handle it'. We still have to work out how we will reopen the village though and protect those who are still alive inside that 'bobble'. If it goes away, there are still enough enemies to wipe us out in there."

Nodoka said, "We can cross that hurdle when it comes, Elder Cologne. Lets go and see this miracle that My grandfather Ichigo and grandmother Kasumi are speaking of."

The five people and one cat crossed the Temple grounds and entered the impressive structure that sat on a low mound to one side of a babbling stream. It appeared to be in a typical style of a Buddhist temple with the exception of an oddly shaped silvery crystal spire sticking up from the center of the roof. The now familiar symbol of Saturn was visible on the nearest side of the construct.

On entering the temple Cologne noticed that paper screens hid whatever was in the center of the building and as they passed through a labyrinth style entrance she saw what was basically a continuation of what was above the temple. The surface of the spire looked like flawless crystal but with smooth edges rather than sharp. At the nearest part of the gleaming construct a ramp led down to what appeared to be a door of some type. It was hard to say, because the edges seemed to be drawn into the surface by some exquisitely precise brush. Other designs were on both sides of the door.

Kasumi moved up and took Nodoka's hands in hers and said, "You are my daughter, since your mother is no longer with us. Lets get the transfer of authority over." She took Nodoka into a brief hug and released her to step up to the center of the door. The woman then placed both hands into a square design in the center of the door outline.

A vaguely male voice spoke softly all around the group, "The Throne recognizes the queen mother and regent for Saturn. Is it your wish to take command, as is your right?"

Nodoka answered with a slight quaver, "It-It is."

"Please state your name as you wish to be addressed."

"Nodoka."

"Nodoka?"

"Yes."

"Name confirmed. Do you wish access Regent Nodoka?"

"Yes and for those accompanying me."

"That was understood." Nodoka got the feeling that the voice was a tiny bit miffed at her assumption that it needed micromanaging directions.

"I'm sorry. No offense was intended. If you… What is your name anyway?"

"I am the Throne of Saturn, but my personality was based on that of general Maximus. He was the best tactician in the time of Serenity VII and went by Max."

"Very well, Max, if you would, please prompt me at the most egregious errors of protocol and judgement. However, you do understand that my say is final, though?"

"That will always be true while you are regent, Regent Nodoka."

At that the door outline became a seam and the door moved inward and upward allowing entrance to a bright interior room with a clear crystal doorway on the other side which opened as soon as they were all inside. The outer hatch began to close as the inner opened.

"Please enter the elevator to your right and I will transport you to the command deck. I must apologize for its barrenness but all organics had to be purged when power and lighting began to fail during the war. I determined that camouflage and hiding was needed to protect my queen and she concurred. The covering of earth had made sustainable bioculture impossible inside of the ship without power. With my queen's link established, I am now ready to re-enter active duty. Here is the command deck."

The crystal door of the elevator opened up to a room the size of an American football field. The roof looked like the inside of a shallow boat hull the color of dirt, which proved to be the case, as it was earth outside of a clear glass-like hull of the ship. The floor was a very dark gray that looked like barely rippling water from their end to a dais that had what seemed to be a command chair facing some truly huge screens. Then the floor began to dimple, shifting to rounded basins in a geometric pattern, leaving a wide aisle directly to the command chair.

Max spoke in his everywhere voice, "If you could, bring in sufficient earth to fill the 'planters', plants and whatever wildlife needed to sustain them, I can carry on the maintenance after that. It would be so nice to feel that I am always carrying life within. My namesake had a strong maternal streak, even if he was a man, and cared so much for those he chose to protect."

Nodoka nodded, "Grandmother Kasumi, can we grant Max's wish? It would boost our morale as well as max's."

Ichigo answered with a grin, "Consider it done dear. Two days should be enough time to completely transform this place." He left their presence to attend his self assigned task.

Cologne had kept very quiet for some time, but chose now to speak. "You know, this is all so awe inspiring that I begin to despair of being even a guard, much less a captain of the Queen's guard. How will my people be able to grasp this much technology to do a creditable job?"

Kasumi chose to answer, "For all your appearance, you are still relatively young, do you feel any less able to learn than you did a hundred years ago? Nodoka has three degrees and two doctorates in her chosen field and is one of the top five sword users in the world. Though I never bothered with paper degrees, I've done the monastic path of study for a hundred years at a time and I still feel that I have only just begun. You will do just fine. Also, your warriors have potent abilities that will blossom with time, study and support."

"Thank you, I find some small comfort in what you say." Cologne looked up toward the command area. "What is happening with that screen?"

They all looked up as they climbed the steps to the command center, to see odd runic characters scrolling down one of the screens. Max calmly announced, "I have just been able to bring up one of the lunar sensory arrays with an energy packet recharge. I used the Queen's authority as the highest ranked surviving member of Moon Kingdom royalty to overcome the security protocols. I have them observing the bobble in the Kun Lun Range in China. Thanks to my link to the Queen I can impact the bobble for relocation. Estimated time to integration is one month, ten days and three hours with minimum disruption at embarkation or arrival at Saturn Elysian region. Regent Nodoka, do I have authorization to proceed."

"Nodoka, what is Max talking about?" asked Cologne.

"I believe he is talking about moving your whole region of China within that bobble to Saturn."

"Oh. Goddess! That includes Jusenkyo, the Phoenix and virtually all of the Musk territories. Saffron and Herb may be difficult to deal with."

"Then we'll just have to convince them that we will be benign rulers and THEY will have to deal with US. I think that everyone in that bobble will be wondering where the rings came from." Said Nodoka with a smirk. Max, you have my authorization, as I believe that that was my daughter's intent at the time, though she may not remember it very well."

Cologne had read some science fiction and had watched a couple episodes of Star Trek in the late sixties on a trip to America and noticed something. "Max-san, may this one inquire—do you have any weapons?"

"No. Lady Cologne. I have nothing other than some advanced shielding and stealth abilities. Saturn's queens and senshi have been more than sufficient for offense and defense. There are special decks around the ship that serve a purpose other than observation. The silence glaive is a symbol and focus for the power to destroy worlds. Regent Nodoka, this brings up another subject. I recommend that you have Ranma perform the ritual of ascension for yourself and other trustworthy family members, to allow the most efficient protection of myself and through me, the Queen."

* * *

In Nerima, Genma Saotome, his old friend Soun Tendo and his three daughters had their eyes glued to the screen of the older model color television in their family room. 

Soun looked at his friend. "Genma, is that happening because of your son's actions?"

"Oh! That worthless, careless son of mine! Soun let me use your phone to call Nodoka. We'll take your daughters there and make her and Ranma do what is honorable. The schools must be joined! This is our only chance as Nodoka is expecting twin girls."

Nabiki shouted, "Its still going up and its going to pass right over Tokyo!"

Kasumi quietly said, "Oh my." To herself as she followed her sisters Nabiki and Akane out of the house to look at the sky, which had darkened with some stars visible because the late afternoon sun was completely blocked by the unbelievably enormous thing moving their way. They were surprised when the wind suddenly became gale force, making them go back into the house for shelter.

Nabiki spoke loudly, to be heard over the howling winds outside, "THAT was the milder winds that they said would hit Tokyo? Supposedly Beijing was flattened by the wind, coming and going. Thankfully the volcanic activity in the basin left by that thing's exit is only minor. Once it goes over the Pacific, who knows what kind of storms will develop."

Genma shouted, "Kuso! The phone line is dead."

Nabiki held a cell phone in one hand and the other hand palm up, "Ten thousand yen, maybe service isn't out where Auntie Nodoka is."

Genma dug out the money and handed it over to a smirking Nabiki, who relinquished the phone.

Genma feverishly dialed as he left the room to gain some privacy. Nabiki glanced at the TV and looked at her father speaking, "Daddy. Do we really want to become involved with this Ranma?"

"Daughters, it is a matter of family honor that one of you should marry the boy. I won't hear any more of this."

"But Daddy, what if he's a pervert like the boys at school?" said the dark haired daughter.

Genma came running into the room. "Old friend, they'll see us! It's in the bag! A van will be over to pick us all up in the morning." Nabiki grabbed the phone from Genma's hand and walked off.

Kasumi, the oldest sister, thoughtfully picked up the family photo that Genma had been waving around that showed uncle Genma, Ranma and his mother standing in a bamboo grove. 'He looks like a gentle person, the way he is hugging his mother. Her smile says that she loves her son as well. If it is to be, it would be nice to have a mother figure in my life again.'

Nabiki sat down in her room at her desk. She proceeded to check the last few numbers called on her cell phone. Genma had apparently dialed two numbers. She pressed the call button with the first number highlighted. The ringing eventually got a woman's voice on an answering machine. Nabiki left a message, just in case. She then pressed the second number, which was picked up.

"Moshi moshi, this is the Saotome estate, Saotome Kasumi speaking." 'Saotome estate, huh? Must be some real money talking here.'

Couching her voice in the most respectful tone, "Hello. This is Tendo Nabiki, Uncle Genma just made a call to this number and I just wanted to verify some things for my family…"

"Yes. That 'man' did call my granddaughter Nodoka making claims upon the Saotome family honor. It was decided that your family would be given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to meet with Ranma, supervised by Nodoka. You see, we are verifying things from our end as well. It seems that Genma made some promises that he had no authority to make and the clan council will be meeting regarding his punishment. Don't worry, though, we won't blame you for that foolish man's faults. Now I must go attend business. We'll see you tomorrow."

Nabiki put away her phone after hearing the click of dismissal. "I think that I'd better check out our prospective family, quick." She booted up the laptop at her desk and connected to the Internet. A few queries brought her to an ftp site that listed top corporations and their CEOs. A dbase download brought up a spreadsheet listing data on the top twenty corporations in Japan. It appeared that Saotome Kasumi and Saotome Ichigo were on the boards of half of them and were co-CEOs of Saotome Diversified Industries. It was the fourth largest company in Japan and specialized in making components rather than finished products. She shuddered in both fear and anticipation. They were RICH, but if her family were to become awkward for the Saotomes, they could disappear without a trace. These people were beyond yakusa, if her eyes weren't lying, they had ties to the emperor.

Nabiki fought to control her fear and greed, in favor of some sleep and figuring what to say to her family to warn them to be on their best behavior, particularly Akane. Her dreams that night were not pleasant.

End Chapter 2

Thanks go to the people at Fukufics and their helpfulness.


	3. Chapter 3

Found grave errors and unsatisfied with length. Revised and lengthened.

Don't own Ranma or Sailor Moon. Won'get paid for this either.  
Orchid Queen of Saturn  
Chapter 3

A perky red headed girl bounced up to Ranma and his Amazon guard. "I am Hanabi and these bozos following me are your Saotome cousins that are close to your age. Since there are so many of us here we can all introduce ourselves as the afternoon goes along. But I've been chosen to stick with you because I'm the biggest gossip in the clan, so don't say anything that you don't want repeated. Okay?"

Ranma blushed at the bald honesty of the girl in front of her. "Err. Well, this is Rinse. She's a cousin of Shampoo who was my h-husband by Amazon law. Sh-Shampoo died the day after our wedding night about two weeks ago."  
Hanabi took on a look of sadness and concern. And clapped her hands for the departed. "I cannot imagine what you've gone through. We've heard some of the story, because elder Nodoka called and reported much of what happened while she was gone. We know some of what happened at Jusenkyo and at the Nyanchiczu village and I would like to hear whatever you are willing to talk about."

"C-could you tell me what you know and I'll t-try to explain what I know." Ranma's face took on a look of sadness.  
"The story is that you fell into a pool that made you look exactly like Auntie Nodoka and that you and her are now expecting. I don't know how you are able to be as calm as you are. Especially meeting someone and falling in love like that, and then taking a hit. I just want to tell you it'll be alright but I know that it won't ever be 'right'."

Ranma began to tear up a bit. "I am a woman now and something in me says to accept that. It also tells me that I'll be a man again. But, by the kami, its hard. I accept it like a challenge and, anyway, if this is the price for having Mom be alive I'd do it over in a heartbeat, even if I never was a man again. It helps that my amazon friends have provided support and Cologne has been listening to me and explaining why I've felt the way I do."

Hanabi looked at Rinse and smiling, said "Well, if you can bring your group along, we can go bathe in the hot spring. Its strictly unisex in the spring, but we have separate changing and bathing areas. Plus, plenty of large towels and robes if you feel the need to protect your modesty." So the Saotomes and Rinse headed for the springs followed by the Amazon troops moving with military precision. The Saotome cousins walked casually beside the Amazon Warriors, engaging in conversation, at least the several that spoke mandarin well. By the time the group had arrived, there were several animated conversations going and good 'foreign' relations seemed to be well under way.

Ranma came out of the women's changing area laughing along with Hanabi and Rinse to see several boys her age clad with towels around their waist. She began a growl at the back of her throat, but stopped as they all bowed low and looked her in the eye, their glances never once wandering.

The oldest, who bore a fairly good resemblance to her male form spoke for the group. "Hello Ranma-san, I'm Kensuke Saotome. Me and my buddies here are all cousins of yours and we know all about your situation. I speak for all of us and want you to know that we plan on being your friends. We promise to treat you no differently than we treat each other and if any of us fall short, please let us know what's wrong and we'll fix it."

One of the younger boys to the back piped in, "Yeah, and none of us like to get beaten up. And. I'm not talking about you! Though you could probably take us out, and a dozen more."

His laughter and the laughter of the others carried no malicious undertones to Ranma. So she began to laugh along with them, "You're right. I just want to thank you for your support. You have no idea what it means to me. Hopefully, this time next year, I'll be able to be a guy again, at least half of the time, and things will be better."

Ranma had a thought, "Have you guys been told about the amazon laws of marriage?" Blank looks and a shaking of heads was their response. "Well don't get into a challenge fight if you think you'll win. Men who beat Amazon women are called husbands from the moment they've won and the women wear the pants and own the property."

The same boy who had spoken earlier interjected, "Well, I hope that doesn't continue for long. Oh! I'm Ichigo, by the way. Our clan is quite egalitarian, but primogeniture is how leadership is passed down and the first born has always been a girl except for you but now you're a girl and the latest heir. I can't wait for when you can be a boy again. You'll be the first guy to run the clan in recorded history. Do you think those Amazon women would just, just like date? I don't want to fight, just spar once in a while, maybe take one like that one to a movie. All of them are really pretty. Is that really their hair color…"  
Ranma interrupted Ichigo, "Hanabi? Is Ichigo always like this?"

"Yeah. Ichigo's a regular motor mouth, but its all youthful innocence." The boy opened his mouth and shut it while blushing an intense shade of red at the reference to his age. "If they really believe that you are their queen or king, you ought to lay some ground rules some time. I know that 'I' wouldn't like it if I had to marry someone just because they beat me in a fight. It all sounds like an invitation to rape."

"Hanabi, believe me when I say that rape is virtually nonexistent in their culture, though some of their outsider laws border on it. I'll tell you some other time, now I just want to get into the hot spring and soak."

The group walked into the segregated bathing hall where the men and women separated again to get ready for the springs. Ranma followed Hanabi and was followed in turn by her Amazon friends and guards. Ranma stood self consciously while the other women waited for her cue. Finally she scrunched her face in determination hung her towel on a peg. The others immediately followed suit, all of them gathering bathing supplies from the shelves.

Hanabi and Rinse smiled at Ranma's embarrassment and gently took an arm each, setting her on a stool. The Saotome cousin took a bucket of water and poured it over her head while Rinse began to lather up her back. Hanabi put shampoo in Ranma's hair and began to work her hair into a lather too. After a bit, the neo woman began to relax. Hanabi took a bucket and rinsed Ranma off as Rinse got a towel to begin drying her hair out.

As Ranma wrapped her hair up in a towel and covered her body with another, she turned to Rinse and Hanabi, who were washing each other's backs. "I want to thank you two for being here for me. For accepting me. I won't forget it."  
"Just remember, Ranma. We're family and Rinse's people are family now, through Shampoo. We can remember her by having her be registered as the father of your child."

"You know, its funny, because I don't really feel p-p-pregnant. The morning sickness is just that. Until I start showing, it'll be hard for me to recognize it."

"Well, when you do start to show, please don't get upset when 'all' of us women start to make a fuss about baby showers and shopping for maternity outfits. I'll tell you what! We're going shopping for some nice clothes for you and your 'guards'. Also, dear cousin, as long as you know what fits your male form, we can buy a wardrobe of men's clothes and have them ready for the day that you can change back."

Ranma couldn't believe what she was hearing but could believe the warmth and understanding coming from Hanabi. She began to tear up and her lower lip trembled, just before she exploded. "WAAAH! You DO understand!" Hanabi was grabbed in a glomp that threatened to pop out her eyes.

Rinse put an arm around Ranma and said, "You need to let her breathe a little. Come on and let's get into a spring. Us Amazons won't be able to enjoy it until you are in and give permission."

Sniffling, Ranma wiped her tears and looked at Rinse and the women lined up behind her, none even bothering with towels for modesty. Her guards 'were' wearing their scabbards and weapons, though, and for some reason it looked awful sexy. She wiped a small spot of blood from her nose and nodded, turning down the stairs to the springs.

As Ranma sat on a submerged stone bench, her friends and retainers joined her in the spring. They all released a collective sigh of relief and several conversations began to spring up between the various groups. Rinse stared at one group of women listening to a young boy. She spoke up, "It looks as if young Ichigo is being adopted by the Fourth Scouts."

Hanabi smiled, "Yeah. The kid is like that. Some of the elders are thinking of placing him in the diplomat corps as soon as he graduates from college. But what I see may mean that he will have to go to school while on the job. I'll have someone speak to him later." Turning to Ranma, "Well, how do you feel about getting some girls and guys and going to the mall in Juuban. There's fun stuff to do besides shopping. I think that we can also get some better clothes than that training gi to wear that your mother complained about. You will want to stay in shape and the Saotome pregnancy katas and techniques will keep you from losing your edge."

"You mean there're techniques to use during pregnancy?!"

"Well duh! You have to be able to defend yourself and your unborn child! You are your baby's last line of defense. And, we do have our share of enemies."

Ranma sat back thinking, 'I get to learn some techniques that I wouldn't ever have been able to learn? How cool is that? "Uhh. Whaaa!" Her eyes suddenly rolled up in her head and her body began to glow. Rinse caught her before she slid under water, but let go as the naked Ranma began to levitate.

A light show commenced as the Amazons gathered around and went to one knee, bowing. The Saotomes just looked on in awe.

After a bit, a fully dressed Ranma slowly descended to the ground by the pool. Rinse and Hanabi caught her and lay her down on some dry towels that had been quickly gathered. A pole arm appeared from nowhere and clattered to the ground, barely missing some of the observers. An amazon tried to pick it up and found that she couldn't budge it even a millimeter. They gave up when four Amazons failed to move it.

The faint glow never left Ranma after her transformation. After a few minutes, it began to pulse and someone noticed that the spire above the temple was glowing and pulsing in time to Ranma. Hanabi asked Rinse, "Any idea of what's going on?"  
"Not a clue! This isn't like what happened at Joketsuzoko-OH!" The ground began to shake, some people losing their balance and sitting down in the open. Shortly it stopped and the glowing spire ceased glowing.

Hanabi let out a breath and spoke for everyone, "What in the nine hells was that?!"

"It was my world's newest citizens being sent on their way." Everyone turned to Ranma, standing there with a trance-like gaze, casually resting the glaive in the crook of her arm. "Mother commanded Max to do something slightly beyond his capabilities, so he tapped the nearest source of power. Me. I must have a talk with him about doing that without consulting me."  
At that, Ranma's clothing rippled and, now wearing a white ankle length dress, she collapsed again. This time, she was carried to the main house to a bed by four nude Amazons and led by the equally nude Hanabi and Rinse.

Scene break-

* * *

Ranma's eyes shot open with full awareness when a door opened and a delicious mixture of smells assaulted her nose. Sitting upright she looked around to find herself in a large canopy bed, surrounded by her great grandmother and great grandfather, a dressed Hanabi and Rinse, some Amazons trying to look fiercely vigilant, a kitten with a half moon mark on its forehead, Cologne, and her mother holding a tray loaded down with food. Nodoka placed the tray on the bed in front of Ranma and backed up a step.

With a heartfelt "Thanks Momph." Ranma attacked the food and made the meal disappear at a rate that had everyone staring in disbelief at the carnage taking place. The poor meal never had a chance.

With a happy burp, Ranma smiled radiantly at her mother, "I really…really needed that."

"Ranma, I want to apologize for myself and Max. He told me that a glitch had him drawing on your power before he could ask for permission. He said that he has reprogrammed himself so that it won't happen again, unless there's a class one emergency."  
"Well. Now that I can think about it, it was for the best. How long was I out?"

"It's been five hours and your bobble has already passed over us and is in space, on its way to Saturn. We 'were' going to have it ascend vertically, but the Chinese dropped three thermonuclear devices on it. This was a grave irresponsibility on Beijing's part and with acquiescence from the UN, we changed its trajectory. Now the only nations not subject to UN rule are Japan, Switzerland and Libya. We shall not allow our country to be subject to the UN forces because that might encourage them to claim ownership of Saturn, which is and shall be ours."

"They may try to put pressure on and threaten a trade war, but only if they want to lose access to our science and technology. Japan has more scientists working on reflex technology than everyone else combined and our Veritech designs have gotten us orders for hundreds of Robotech fighters."

"Mom? What's the UN?"

As everyone around the bed facefaulted (except for the Amazon guards, who thought it a reasonable question), Nodoka began to really plot long term revenge on Genma (maybe some nanites that would seal ninety-nine percent of everything he ate and heating it to uncomfortable levels as it was passed. That way he would be slowly starving and have a continuous hot pepper burn in the toilet).

Elsewhere, a certain fat martial artist sneezed, wished a certain Tendo daughter would hurry up with the meal, and then farted. Said fart igniting from a nearby candle thereby creating a blast that left him mooning the youngest Tendo. Who cried "Pervert" and manifested a large mallet to hit the offending anatomy. Upon striking, the girl was really upset when she found that the mallet was lodged within that part of the martial artist's body. He made a sucking sound of extreme pain through his teeth as the girl jerked on the handle of the mallet, trying to retrieve it for another blow. This was stupid, since it was a ki mallet and would vanish as soon as she let go, allowing her to make another, non smelly mallet.

Scene break-

* * *

Nabiki jumped out of her bed and jerkily made her way to the furo to force herself to some semblance of awareness. 'Thank you Kasumi for warming up the furo,' she thought as she stripped her pajamas and panties in preparation for the ritual of entering the land of the living.

Kasumi smiled with some mirth as she heard her younger sister stumbling about in the furo. The groans of self pity carried pretty well through the short hallway between the kitchen and the bathing area. She had forgotten to close both doors again. Kasumi didn't know why Nabiki was up so uncharacteristically early, but suspected that it had to do with the upcoming visit to the Saotome estate. She set the coffee to percolating in anticipation of Nabiki's arrival.

Akane leapt out of her bed and flung her pajamas into the usual corner and dressed in shorts and sweatshirt, preparing for her own morning ritual of exercise and kata. She breezed by Nabiki's room, curious about her older sister being up so early. She began to hum happily while she thought about being able to miss school and that 'other' morning routine. Then she scowled briefly at the thought that one of them might be engaged before the day ended. This Ranma had to be a pervert if the only way for him to get married was for his parents to arrange it.

After Akane had left for her morning constitutional, Nabiki entered the kitchen and eagerly took the cup of coffee that Kasumi had handed her. Removing the small, floating iron bolt that Kasumi used to test the readiness of Nabiki's drink of choice, she began to sip the over caffeinated beverage. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrank to pinpoints.

Finally, the middle daughter was ready to speak to her older sister. "Kasumi-chan. This visit will need to be handled with extreme care. I found some things out last night that, well, frankly scare the bejeezus out of me."

"Things? Sister, whatever do you mean?"

"First off, Uncle Genma isn't a Saotome by birth, he married into the family and is not well thought of by them. I contacted a high ranking family member last night to check them out and she confirmed my fears about the man being little more than a con artist. We may be given an offer of accepting the engagement or given a material settlement to void the agreement should the clan not desire the marriage."

"But wouldn't our honor be tainted, if we refused the engagement, or theirs if they refused, for that matter?"

"Not if it involves a family close to the emperor and if they don't support Genma's claim. They are so close to the emperor that they are essentially the embodiment of honor. Still. There's too much we don't know beyond the fact that they are incredibly rich and well connected. I think that you and I will probably be the only ones in our family that will be able to think clearly. I know that you have some feelings for Tofu sensei, so if they insist on the arranged engagement, I'll accept. I hate to admit it, but I am very frightened to do that based on how little we know about them. I'm even more frightened of what might happen if Akane wound up engaged to Ranma. I would be the logical choice for the protection of our family."

"That's very brave of you little sister and I want you to know that, should you be hesitant, I will fill the breach for our family's honor. I'm sure that Tofu-kun would understand, though I really wish he wouldn't act so silly when I'm around."

"Thanks sister, all we can do is find out what we can today and keep father and Akane from hurting our chances at profiting from this."

"Well, if you could take the dishes and silverware to the table, I'll have breakfast ready in a couple of minutes."  
It was a quiet family group and one eight toed (I know that technically the big toe isn't a toe, so it's six toed), fat, balding, child abuser, cursed, incontinent, insensitive, misogynistic, dyslexic, smelly, flatulent, greedy, dishonest, yeasty, thieving, urinous, cowardly clotpole of a martial artist that ate breakfast in silence.

As they finished, Nabiki stood, "Father, after 'Genma' came in and announced…"

Soun interrupted, "Daughter, you must speak of our guest and my old friend with respect."

Nabiki replied before her father could send what she had to say off track, "As I was saying, after the announcement, I decided to do some investigation of the Saotome family. Father, the Saotomes are one of the richest families in Japan, if not the world. They have ties to the emperor and possibly political connections globally. And. Now our little samurai family has been brought to the attention and close scrutiny of their main clan. I don't know if this bothers you, but it scares the HELL out of me. 'Genma' is a Saotome only through marriage. His family name was Tomoe."

"Why should we fear when one of you will be a Saotome?"

"Didn't you hear me! Genma isn't a Saotome by birth, much less a clan head! The main clan strongly disapproves of Genma's past actions and is going to interview us because they think that we are victims of one who is as a ward of the clan. I think that we will be lucky to get a settlement to buy our silence, much less an engagement. If we are deemed troublesome or a nuisance, our silence will be that of the dead."

Soun sat staring for a moment, "But. But…"

"I say we just blow the perverts off."

"Akane!! That attitude of yours could very well get you killed. It could get us all killed. These people are much more than yakusa. Sister. I implore you to keep your mouth shut and answer only with a yes, no or maybe when questioned. No name calling. Okay? Okay?"

Akane could see the fear in Nabiki's eyes.

Kasumi spoke, "Akane, dear sister, I'm afraid I must agree with Nabiki-chan. Perhaps you should stay home. We will make sure that you won't be dragged into this."

Akane thought for a second and said, "No. For the honor of the clan, I have to be there. I'll- I'll try to be-b-behave!"

"Okay, sis, but I'll be watching you." Nabiki intended to do just that.

Kasumi had left the room and returned with fresh tea and set it out for everyone. A special cup was given to Akane. Though Nabiki might accept Akane's word, she knew better. Akane's tea was laced with a proprietary blend of opiates and rare herbs, courtesy of one love struck doctor. Akane shouldn't pose a problem for the next twelve hours.

As they finished their tea, a knock came at the door and they went en mass to find a liveried driver and two black suited men in sunglasses standing there. The driver looked them over and said, "It looks like everyone is here, please follow me."

At the curb was a large limousine with completely blacked out windows. As they all entered the limo, Nabiki noticed that the windows were truly blacked out and in the background she could hear the susurration of a sophisticated active noise reduction system, something she had read about as cutting edge technology in some business security trade publication. "They 'really' don't want us to know where we are going."

They went on a roundabout tour of town. When Akane began singing '99 bottles of sake on the wall' in a very off key voice, the trip became much longer.

Scene break

* * *

Ranma and her mother were sitting in the tea room, practicing for the ceremony that would commence upon the arrival of the Tendos. "Ranma! I am very pleasantly surprised that you are this adept at something that Genma would have considered girly."

"Mom. Pops just dropped me off at a dojo and disappeared for a month. I think that he got caught robbing a liquor store after having sampled too much of the swag and it took him that long to escape. It turned out that the dojo was a front for highly specialized kunoichi assassins. Their reputation was that they killed no innocents. Their tea ceremony consisted of three parts. The first two were testing and interrogation. Passing the first removed the need for the second and third. Passing the second meant that the target was an unwilling participant or could be convinced of the error of their ways. The third part was where I truly lost my childhood views on martial arts there. Really bad people should die for the sake of innocent future victims. I still have nightmares about the training I received, but I think I am better for it."

Nodoka recognized who the clan was that Ranma spoke of. They weren't Saotome allies, but they also weren't enemies. They HAD to have known who Ranma was. That they had trained the boy in at least some secret techniques indicated a long term olive branch to the Saotomes. That they hadn't contacted the family meant that they wished to remain neutral. She would let them know of her appreciation, but that they would shortly be unable to maintain that neutrality. A Saotome offer of permanent employment should more than compensate them.

"Mom?"

"Ah. Just thinking son. What do you think of the Tendos coming here?"

"I don't like it. Pops is screwing me over. Again. Just to suit his own lazy ass. The only honor involved might be the Tendo honor, but I bet it was just him and some old drinking buddy."

"That sounds about right. I'll allow you to make the decision to engage yourself or to allow me to negotiate a settlement using money or employment, which is the same thing, but more beneficial to all parties concerned."

Scene break

* * *

Outside the mansion, the limousine had arrived and the Tendos plus one scumbag exited and took in their surroundings.  
Nabiki's breath caught in her throat as she saw another limo leaving at the other end of the drive with the imperial chrysanthemum embossed on the door. The profile of its passenger was unmistakable. "That. That had to be deliberate." She whispered to herself, barely containing the contents of her bladder.

"Was that who I think it was, Nabiki-chan?" Asked Kasumi with a gentle smile.

"It sure was, sis. Lets get this circus over with and find out if our family has a future."

"Oh, I think it will turn out just fine. Let's just keep a positive outlook."

Two people greeted them with light banter, introducing themselves as Kasumi and Ichigo Saotome.  
Soun may have been considered unobservant, but he also had seen what his older daughters had seen, "Saotome, old friend, I think that there may have been something to what Nabiki said this morning. I hope that you aren't planning something like what the master used to do."

"Don't worry Tendo. I have something that will make Nodoka see things our way. You'll see!"

"This isn't like the old days, Saotome, but I'll wait and see."

The visitors followed the Saotome matriarch and patriarch inside.

They passed through a grand hallway lined with a mixture of what looked like ancient and modern styles of portraits. Nabiki noticed though that the most modern looking subject, a woman in a moderate length fuku, with bows and crown, was also the oldest, judging from the fading and cracked canvas. Near by was an ancient tablet with an almost identical image in a different pose. The kanji on the associated placque described a date and name that locked up Nabiki's thought processes for the time it took them to arrive at a spacious tea room.

What greeted their eyes were two women dressed in truly archaic kimonos kneeling on one side of a slab of marble upon which was placed an old tea set. Their guides indicated that they all take their places for the tea ceremony.  
Once seated, one of the apparent twins addressed the visiting family. "I am Nodoka Saotome, current Head of Clan Saotome and Regent of the Royal House of Saturn."

Nodoka observed the reactions of the Tendos, from Soun's nervous tic to Nabiki's mask of calm hiding a combination of nervousness and calculation, to Kasumi's aura of calm that seemed to be trying to blanket the other family members to the youngest, who was smiling and nodding in a drugged out kind of way. Her ex-husband was trying to contain his self righteous anger and it was obvious that it was about to blow.

"Woman! What is going on here?! I should be setting where you ar…URK!!" Two women had appeared behind him and neutralized him with paralyzing shiatsu techniques.

"That is enough, Genma Tomoe!" Spoke Nodoka. "Because of something you have, I cannot deal with you as I wish. Yet. Your trial is coming and you'd better mend your ways soon if you don't wish to face the full wrath of the clan." Genma was dragged to a wall and stood up with all the regard of a noxious potted plant. The two guards vanished behind a partition.

Nodoka visibly calmed herself down and surveyed the Tendos. "Now, to the reason that you are here. I wish to hear the details of this 'agreement' that my former husband negotiated." The steely command within the statement and use of the word negotiated galvanized the middle daughter.

Soun began, "My old frie…"

Nabiki spoke out, "Father! Please. Let me handle this." The ice in her tone froze his tears as well as his voice. "Honored Elder. Please forgive my presumptuousness and allow me to speak for my family. I am Nabiki, Soun Tendo's middle daughter." Nodoka nodded. "Genma-san came to our house after our father told us of an agreement to join two schools of martial arts. I understand this to mean that Genma's son Ranma would engage to wed one of us, Kasumi, myself, or Akane. Seeing that the agreement is in question, I think that there are some possibilities for us to move forward on. One is that I will offer myself as your son's fiancée, should that be your decision. Another would be to ac-accept reasonable compensation to discharge the giri between our families." Bowing low, she continued, "May I speak with Ranma-sama to see what his wishes are?" The girl then looked around for the, to her, missing Saotome.

Nodoka replied, smiling, "Very well. Grandmother, grandfather, could you escort Nabiki-chan's family to the west sitting/dining room? And could someone escort that 'person' to a secure holding cell."

Nabiki's heart soared in relief. 'She called me Nabiki-chan, that has to mean that she holds no grudge against us, even though she's divorcing that man. Thank you Kami-sama!'

Once the room was cleared, Nodoka's twin began a brief tea ceremony. The Tendo girl noticed what appeared to be some hand seals prior to being handed her tea. As she drank, she noticed a faint tingling, pleasant sensation and the woman smiled as she took the cup back. Ranma spoke for the first time, "You are honest, and will not forsake those you care about."

Nabiki realized that she had been tested and had not been found wanting. This understanding restored her self confidence and natural resilience. With a measure of her normal professionalism, she spoke, "So where is Ranma?"

Nodoka spoke as her twin began to fidget and look everywhere but at her. Nabiki's confusion began to run rampant. "How open are you to the existence of magic? Real magic."

"Well, I guess that I believe in the tenet that any sufficiently advanced technology can appear to be magic to the uneducated. Is that what you want to know?"

"Not exactly, but it will have to do. I don't have the wherewithal to prove Ranma's case directly to you, but I hope to convince you that it is 'very' real. Mau-chan! Could you please bring in Loofa."

Nabiki turned to see where Nodoka was looking and spotted a small kitten with an odd marking on its forehead followed by a voluptuous warrior maiden who would have put one of Wagner's valkyries to shame. The woman carried a pitcher of water and a kettle that had a wisp of steam coming from it. The kitten and warrior stopped and calmly looked at Nabiki, while Nodoka continued.

"Recently, Ranma, myself and Genma ran afoul of some springs in a remote location in China. These springs are imbued with very powerful magical properties. They are named Jusenkyo. The short explanation is that whatever falls into a spring takes the form of whatever last drowned in it."

"Wait, you don't have to concoct any stories. I've already agreed…"

"I assure you that neither we nor you are crazy, be patient. Loofa, here, fell into the spring of the drowned peregrine falcon and the changes are initiated by exposure to different water temperatures." Nodoka rose gracefully to her feet and took the pitcher of water that had been placed on a tray for that purpose. Looking into Loofa's eyes and getting an expression of willingness, she poured about a cup full of water over the woman's head.

Nabiki began to hyperventilate as the woman shrank almost faster than the eye could see into her clothes. A beautiful raptor emerged and stood regally upon the pile of discarded clothing, staring at the girl as if challenging her to deny the evidence of her eyes. 'Its real.'

Nabiki's eyes jerked to look at Nodoka then Ranma. A look of comprehension, almost epiphany came over her. Nodoka smiled 'This girl is smart, definitely the brains of the family. Let's see if we can use her.'

"So Ranma, how does it feel to grow up to be your mother? Usually boys grow up and find they've become their fathers. Why can't you change back?"

Ranma decided it was time to participate in the conversation. "Mom fell into an uncursed spring and drowned. I jumped in to save her. When we got out, I was able to restore her to life and health. It's a power I have now. The reason I can't change back is because Mom was pregnant when she fell into the spring."

Nabiki looked Ranma in the eye incredulously, "Your. Your pregnant?"

"Yep. Maybe a month along or so, complete with morning sickness. And I have to give birth to have a chance at changing back."  
Unheard by Nodoka, but obvious to Nabiki, was the thought 'How could anyone love, much less like a freak like me.' The woman's self confidence was at a very low point. Nabiki's instincts kicked in and she gave Ranma a spontaneous hug. 'What am I doing this for?' Releasing the neo woman, "Ranma, I think that you are a better man or woman than I, did you know of the danger?"

Ranma nodded and was enveloped in another hug.

"There's more, Nabiki. I met one of my soul mates in the Amazon village. She became a man for me and we were married for only a day before she was killed fighting the People's Army. Her name was Shampoo."

Nabiki continued to hug Ranma, "I don't guess you want to get into another relationship after that, but I swear that I'll be your friend, whatever you decide, Ranma-kun. I'll handle my family."

Nodoka decided to break into the discussion, 'My son makes the best friends'. "Nabiki, you are not very far from graduating high school. If you are willing to sign some emancipated minor forms and a nondisclosure agreement, would you be willing to take on employment as Ranma's executive assistant? I know all about your talents and you won't have to worry about any glass ceilings with us."

Nabiki plopped back onto her butt as Nodoka smirked to catch this self made ice queen off guard. "Will. Will you put that in writing?"

"Of course my dear. If you'll sign the nondisclosure agreement, I'll show you some things before you take the rest of the commitment. You need to come into the business with both eyes wide open."

Nabiki signed the form after reading, including the part about 'in perpetuity, unless released' regarding Saotome secrets.  
Nodoka began, "When I introduced myself as Regent for the Royal House of Saturn, I wasn't kidding or referring to some esoteric charitable organization. Ranma is the queen and hopefully, king of Saturn and I am the regent until she is willing to take the throne. Ranma, can you show Nabiki your royal form?"

"Sure Mom." Ranma's form blurred and a ring of light passed from head to toe, leaving her dressed in a gown of shimmering white, with black trim on the hem and sleeves. Elbow length gloves adorned her arms and a silver crown with an odd symbol set on her head. This is a little embarrassing, but my battle costume is even more embarrassing. It's a lot like a school sailor fuku."  
"The reason we are showing you this is that you will likely have to relocate and we thought that you might like to have your family with you, if they would like to come along."

"Does this have anything to do with why Japan hasn't submitted to the world government yet?"

"Sure does. We intend to resurrect a form of the ancient Moon Kingdom. Hopefully without making the same mistakes. You see, Genma is not Ranma's real father. His, or her, father is Khronos, the god of Saturn, an elder god."

"So, is Genma the father of your babies to be?"

"Nope, Khronos." Piped in Ranma.

"Soooo, Khronos is the father AND grandfather of Ranma's child, and Ranma will be both mother and sibling to her child?"

"Yyyepp. And it gets more complicated than that." Added Ranma.

"I've heard about family trees that don't branch, but this is ridiculous. I think that I'll be glad I'm not marrying you Ranma. I'd be getting headaches trying to figure out our kinships. Still, I said I'd be your friend and that will include working for you."

Nodoka spoke, "Well, I'll let you fill out the rest of the paperwork in a bit. For now lets go have a nice family meal. Most of the clan, including Ranma and you will be departing for Saturn in a couple of months. Part of the deal will be a rather large estate in the highlands near the capital."

Nabiki finally decided to faint.

* * *

Elsewhere, Akane was making fast friends with some Amazons with her low opinions of the male population in general. She had already acquitted herself pretty well in some friendly sparring matches. The drugs that Kasumi had placed in her morning tea had inadvertently awakened a true talent for drunken fu. Her fighting had become so chaotic as to be impossible to be read by her opponents. Off on the sidelines, sitting at a table with Kasumi and the Saotome elders, Soun was watching his youngest daughter with ever widening eyes.

"Kasumi, has Akane been taking to drink lately? If she has, she has hid it well.'

"Why no father. Why do you ask?" Kasumi asked, sweatdropping a bit.

"Akane's fighting at a much higher level today than I have ever seen her do in the past. She almost seems to be using drunken fu, a fighting style that strikes fear in the hearts of opponents that recognize it. If that is what she is doing, I'll have to reconsider my decision to allow her to be my heir."

"Why is that father?" Kasumi's sweatdrop grew.

"Because, drunken fu is a forbidden technique, except for one clan that practices it in the service of the emperor."

"Father you don't have to reconsider anything! I need to beg forgiveness from Akane. You see, I was fearful of what harm her temper might cause and gave her a fairly long acting drug to reduce her tendency to be angered at the smallest perceived slight. The medication was one that was approved by Tofu sensei, though he has no knowledge that it was used on Akane."

Soun appeared to be deep in thought, surprising Kasumi with his lack of tears. After a minute or so, he said, "Daughter, I think that Akane needs to resolve her anger issues in ways other than by drugs. Keep the supply you have but ask for permission next time a situation like this arises.

Meanwhile.

Out on the training plaza, a group of Amazons watching Akane fight one of their sisters were snickering among themselves. The leader said, "Well, if this girl hates males half as much as she says and thinks that no girl can be perverted, let's fix her up with Sookie Su." The tittering of the other girls expressed their agreement.

Akane was in heaven, and though she didn't realize it, she was beginning to come down from the drug induced euphoria. She was still performing at a level that she had never been able to achieve before and had carefully taken a mental snapshot of the state of her mind to go over and see about calling it up in the future.

She had taken a pretty hard knock over the boundary, losing another match, when some of the amazon girls came up to her. The apparent leader was smiling hugely, "Akane this one and this one's friends are very impressed with your skill and strength. We would like to give a challenge to you on behalf of our sister Sookie Su." Much tittering accompanied this statement. The girls parted revealing a slight amazon with perky breasts only slightly smaller than Akane's own. She had golden blond hair and a braid of daisies set like a crown. Her clothing was much like the other Amazon's and she had the largest dark purple eyes that Akane had ever seen. For some reason, she felt something click inside. She reached out and took the other girl's hands and spoke, "Hi I'm Akane. Would you like to be friends?"

"Su not good speak Japanese, but, yes! Want friend!" Smiling as if to split her face, Sookie Su spoke out "Sookie Su challenge you to "

Akane only understood the 'challenge you' portion as the girl mixed the Chinese and Japanese words up. She confidently answered, "I accept!" and the chinese gril grinned even wider as she bowed deeply to Akane. Akane bowed back and took a ready stance of the Tendo school on the center of the fight circle. The other girl leapt in and took an Amazon Wu Shu sword stance with a curved wooden sword.

Soun took note of the beginning fight and from the excited Chinese passing among the growing crowd of spectators, he deduced that something special was occurring. 'What is my baby, Akane, getting into?' were his thoughts. An Amazon came between the two and slashed her arm down, shouting "Begin!!".

Su didn't wait for Akane's opening move and screamed as she brought the sword around to catch the dark haired girl in the side. Akane appeared to stumble to the ground, catching herself with one hand while the other came up and batted the sword up at an awkward angle for Su to recover from. Akane rolled on her side under Su, who leapt up to avoid being hit in the knees. Akane's foot caught the other girl's stomach in a seemingly random flop and tossed her to the edge of the ring.

As Akane stood a bit unsteadily, Su had dug the tip of her practice sword into the hard packed earth of the arena and used it to spring toward Akane, pulling the sword after her. Akane looked up to see a windmilling practice sword coming her way and, smiling, clapped her hands, clasping the practice sword and fell back. Su, putting so much into the strike was thrown over Akane, but recovered gracefully and returned to the fray. Over the next ten minutes, the two continued to battle it out, with Su constantly attacking and Akane punishing her for it.

Finally, Akane decided to end it. She was having the time of her life and felt herself improving by leaps and bounds, but could feel the end of her strength approaching and decided to finish, win or lose in her favorite technique. She jumped away from Su to get time. For some reason, it didn't work as easily as usual and Sookie Su was coming in with an overhand wing of her sword. A sense of urgency hit Akane and there it was. It was a white hammer, not her usual wooden mallet. She realized that she could detect no specific emotion in its makeup and that it was much denser though smaller than her normal mallets.

As her thoughts finished, time seemed to speed up to normal as her hammer smashed through the wooden sword and continued on to graze the dodging head of Su. Sookie Su spun three times to land flat on her back, unconscious. Akane stood there, the last fight had burned all of the remaining drugs from her blood stream leaving her to contemplate with crystal clarity what had been going on, including the realization that she had been drugged.

The first thing that she realized was that this had been the single most fun day ever. The second was, 'Have I been that angry all the time? My techniques were all much better without it. I've got to control it. The third thing that Akane realized was that she just remembered enough of her Chinese from school to put together the challenge statement. Her eyes rolled up in her head as she collapsed like a spaghetti noodle.

Akane slowly awakened to a passionate kiss being applied to her person, tongue and all. The hand lightly rubbing her chest felt extremely nice, causing pleasant reactions elsewhere. She returned the kiss, with interest, until she heard clapping and applause.  
"Mmmph! Wha?" She said blinking at the girl glomped on to her person.

Rinse had shown up just before the challenge and didn't stop it, because she liked Sookie Su and thought that the girl deserved some happiness, considering her history. "Hello. Akane?" Getting a nod. "Congratulations! You are now an Amazon and Sookie Su here is your sister wife. Should either of you ever take a male for a husband you can share the bounty, but I suspect that that might not be needed." Su was waving her arms frantically behind Akane and shaking her head. Rinse just returned a very pointed look that caused the girl to wilt.

The girl placed her hand on Akane's shoulder, causing her to spin around to see the saddest eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as the girl sank into a kowtow and slowly came up, shakily, holding her hand out. Fear of rejection was written loudly across her face. Akane thought, 'Maybe the drugs are still affecting me. Yeah, that's what I can say. But what about tomorrow? I LIKED what she was doing to me. Am I turning into a pervert? But that was a hell of a lot better than anything those BOYS wanted to do. Ohh Hell.'

Akane took the girl's hand and pulled her into a hug. Sookie Su whispered in Akane's ear, "You, I love." Applause arose from everyone around, except for Soun, who sported a frown.


End file.
